Good morning!
I hope this day finds you and your family well. I invite you to take a few moments with me to read and reflect upon today’s scripture selection — and to carry these thoughts with you into your day.
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 126
A Harvest of Joy
A Song of Ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[a]
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
Tim’s Devotional Reflection for Today
Psalm 126 is one of the fifteen “Songs of Ascent,” including Psalms 120-134, that were sung by worshipers as they made the journey up to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Psalm 26 is a joyous psalm with beautiful, poetic imagery that expresses joy and gratitude to God for God’s redemption of the people upon the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity.
Traditional Jewish scholarship pairs this psalm with Psalm 137; Psalm 137 commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian exile and Psalm 126 describing the end of that exile. Psalm 126 has also been a part of worship that looks forward to the fullness of the kingdom of God.
It is reminiscent of Revelation 21:1-4: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
In this way, Psalm 126 is a beautiful song of hope. For those of us who grew up with the “old hymns,” especially the hymns in the old Cokesbury Worship Hymnal, we can’t read this psalm without thinking of an old hymn, “Bringing in the Sheaves,” that celebrates the positive side of reaping what we sow, as well as celebrating the fullness of the life to come.
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:1-3).
To be “like those who dreamed” can sometimes be painful. We can see our dreams dashed. Yet, to dream is one of the most rewarding things we can do because most of the greatest experiences and accomplishments started with a dream. All of the great advancements in the way we live and the way we live together in community began with a dream.
Someone shared a poem with me a few years ago about dreaming dreams:
I’ve dreamed many dreams that never came true,
I’ve seen them vanish at dawn.
But I’ve realized enough of my dreams, thank God,
To make me want to dream on.
I’ve prayed many prayers when no answer came,
When my hopes and faith were almost gone.
But answers have come to enough of my prayers,
To make me keep praying on.
I’ve drained the cup of disappointment and pain,
I’ve gone many days without a song.
But I’ve sipped enough nectar from the roses of life,
To make me want to dream on. (Author unknown)
During the difficult times in our lives, in our nation, or in our world, we need to be like those who dream. God has given us the ability to dream dreams and see visions (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17). When we can dream of a better world, a better life, a better community, or a better nation, then we can begin to live into that dream. We can sow the seeds that ultimately will yield a harvest of goodness.
Remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech. Remember the power of his dream, and all the seeds of kindness and justice that were sown by people of good will that grew into a new reality of racial justice and freedom.
His dream is still a dream to be fully realized and one that must be kept alive. It is still a dream that needs to be dreamed today, but don’t forget the power of that dream to sow seeds that will one day come to harvest.
What are your dreams for a better world? What seeds can you sow today that will bear fruit tomorrow?
Hymn: “Bringing in the Sheaves”
Knowles Shaw (1874)
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain:
Bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
Thank you for sharing this moment of your day with me, with God, and with these reflections on a portion of scripture. I hope you will carry these with you throughout your day and night.
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Tim Bruster
Senior Pastor
