Psalm 126 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. My real vision for this time with you is that you learn to listen to God.

And not just take in some teaching or some truth, because that’s not the way I do these spots. Rather, I want to walk with you into the Word of God and say, Lord, what do you have to say to us today?

You need to learn to be responsive to God in your life. Listen to Him.

So often when we pray. What we want to say is, listen, Lord, for your servant is speaking. And what we need to do is what Samuel did in the Bible and say, speak Lord, for your servant is listening.

Are you ready to listen to God today?

We’re looking today at Psalm 126.

The psalmist says:

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When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, it’s talking about the time when God returned the people of Israel to their land after they had been taken into captivity for many years.

And it says when the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting. Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us. We are glad. Restore our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting he who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy bringing his sheaves with him.

This psalm starts with this overflowing enthusiasm and excitement. We were like those who dream. Our mouth was filled with laughter. Have you ever been so happy you just can’t stop laughing? And our tongue with joyful shouting.

Like when your team wins the grand final and the celebration just goes on and on.

Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them.

These people gave God the honour and glory for the good things in their lives, and it helped other people to see, yes, God is involved in their life, and I hope that as God blesses you and does great things for you, you share it too and give Him the glory for what He’s doing in your life.

Then he ends the psalm with his general principle so beautiful those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him, bringing a rich harvest.

You know, there’s many of the greatest seeds in life that can only be sown with tears. God will lead you in your life through some dark waters. And it’s going to be painful. It’s going to be hard. But that’s the only way you’re going to grow in the ways that God needs to grow you.

Hard times can be sent from God in order to grow you and in the long run bless you.

And if, as you go through the hard times, you carry your bag of seed with you. You don’t neglect to continue to honour God and serve God and share Christ with the people around you when you’re going through hard times instead of saying how could God let this happen, how can this be.

If you turn to God and call on Him for His nearness, God will bring great fruit out of those difficult times. And you’ll come back with a shout of joy, bringing your harvest with you.

I’m John North.

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