Do you ever feel like you’ve worked very hard at something and given it all you’ve got and yet it seems like you’re not reaping any positive rewards?
Perhaps it’s even worse than that and you’re actually seeing negative consequences where you expected to see good, solid fruit.
Maybe it’s your job. You’ve worked diligently, tried your best, put in the time and yet someone else received the credit or the promotion.
Perhaps you’re a single Mom whose done her absolute best to raise her children for Christ and yet they are making choices with which you don’t agree.
Maybe you’ve been witnessing to a friend and they seem further from Christ than ever.
Whether it’s a relationship, a job, finances, or a physical challenge, it’s hard when you give and give and give and never seem to be reaping a reward.
Recently, I went through a situation like this.
From my perspective, I’d given it all I had. I’d worked, sacrificed, and honestly cried many tears over a situation, yet it appeared it was all for nothing. I was frustrated, disappointed, and even a little angry. It just didn’t make sense.
Trying to figure out what went wrong, I sought God in prayer.
The Scripture He gave me was Psalm 126:5-6:
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
What a promise! What amazing perspective!
In this Scripture I saw that all of my efforts were not wasted. All of the tears I cried weren’t in vain. They were just all a part of the “sowing” process. Just because I wasn’t reaping a harvest yet, didn’t mean that the harvest would never come. Instead, this verse promises that as we do our part of properly sowing seeds, God will do His part of producing a harvest.
Granted, it may be in His time, but it will come.
So that has become my new prayer: “God, You see ever seed I’ve planted and every tear I’ve cried along the way. Don’t let them be wasted, but use them to reap a harvest of joy for Your kingdom.”
I’m trusting Him to answer it.
If you find yourself in this situation, then I pray this Scripture will bring you HOPE.
All of your efforts are not in vain. In His time, and in His way, God will bring a harvest.
So keep sowing those seeds—even if you do it crying every step of the way. Together, we’ll claim the promise that it’s not over yet.
There will be a reward!!!
