Sowing in Tears, Reaping in Joy
What is sown in tears, God awakens in His time.
Devotional Credit: His Victorious Indwelling, featuring Watchman Nee
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Nick Harrison’s devotional draws our attention to a sacred sorrow—the kind that flows from the heart of one who abides in Christ and sees the world through His eyes. The passage from Psalm 126 paints a picture of the weeping sower—one who goes forth with tears yet returns rejoicing with a harvest in hand. These are not tears of hopelessness but tears birthed from compassion, longing, and love for God’s purposes to be fulfilled.
The weeping that matters most is not for our own disappointments, but for others—for sinners who do not yet know Him, for the glory of God to be seen, and for the Church to walk in the fullness of Christ. Jeremiah’s tears weren’t signs of weakness; they were marks of a heart tender to the Lord’s burden. In this devotional, Watchman Nee reminds us that modern consecration is often missing this key element: our tears. We may give our time, our talents, our finances—but when was the last time we gave our tears?
Yet even our tears are not forever. The Lord has promised a time when the weeping will end and the reward will come. Our sowing is not in vain. There will be joy, songs, and sheaves gathered. For every tear that falls in faith, there is a harvest appointed by God.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have seen your tears, and they are not forgotten. They are not wasted. I catch them, one by one, and mark them with purpose. I placed My compassion in you—not for sorrow’s sake, but for love’s sake. What you feel when you cry for the lost, when your heart aches for My Church, when you long for My glory to shine—that is My own heart moving through yours.
Jeremiah wept because I wept. Paul travailed in anguish because I travailed in him. Jesus stood outside Lazarus’s tomb and wept, not only for a friend, but for a world under the shadow of death. Do you see? Tears are not a weakness—they are the overflow of divine longing. And when you weep as you sow—when the seed of the gospel is watered with compassion—then it falls not on hard ground but on hearts softened by My mercy.
Do not withhold your tears. Consecration is more than sacrifice; it is communion with My heart. If you truly abide in Me, you will feel what I feel. But remember, the season of weeping is not eternal. You will return with singing. You will carry sheaves. What was sown in weakness will be raised in glory. Let the tears fall where they must—for I will turn mourning into dancing, and sorrow into a song.
Scriptures referenced: Psalm 126:5–6; Jeremiah 31:16; Lamentations 3:48–49; Luke 19:41; John 11:35; Galatians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 6:10
🌧️ Real-Life Analogy
It’s like misting a parched houseplant in the early morning. The leaves are wilted, the soil cracked—but the dew of compassion begins to awaken life. It doesn’t flood the plant. It doesn’t drench. It simply nourishes with gentle persistence. So it is with your tears—small droplets of mercy, unseen by most, but reviving what only God can grow.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that You have given me the heart of Christ—tender, compassionate, and moved by what moves You. I rejoice that my tears are not meaningless; they are sown in faith, received in love, and destined for a harvest. You do not overlook even the quietest sigh or the hidden ache. I rest in the assurance that every sorrow offered to You becomes a seed of joy in Your hands. Today, I go forth not as one burdened, but as one entrusted with the sacred privilege of weeping with You, knowing I will return with songs of praise.