“Your Tears Count for Something”

Scripture: "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." -Psalms 126:5, NIV

If truth were told, each and everyone has been spanked or hit with something by our parents, grandparents, or someone who was in charge of us. One thing that comes automatically with being spanked or hit is tears. Some of our mothers (mine included) would not stop spanking you until you started crying. Afterwards, they would tell you to dry your face. As we have raised our children, some cry because they were spanked, some cry because we have yelled at them inadvertently. At the end of the day, they were crying and just like our parents told us, we tell them to dry their face. As adults, we cry as well and it is not because we have been spanked by anyone, but because of the way life has hurt us or dealt us a mighty blow. Though we were told to dry up our tears, there's someone who collects our tears and that's our Heavenly Father. There have been times and seasons in your life where you thought your tears did not mean anything, but I have great news for you on today, your tears do count for something! Today's text provides further clarity what your tears count for.

Today's focus scripture is found in the Poetic book of Psalms. Psalms is the longest book in the Old Testament, as well as the Bible, with 150 chapters. It contains various authors from named authors like David, Asaph, and Moses to unnamed authors. This particular psalm, Psalms 126, is considered a song of ascents. Within this song of ascents, the Lord spoke to the author about the worth of your tears.

The author begins today's scripture by saying, "Those who sow in tears". As I stated in the introduction, many of us cried throughout our respective childhoods and we have definitely cried during our adult lives as well. We have cried for our children to act right. We have cried for our spouses to do right. We have cried for our parents to be well and healthy. We have cried because we desired a job and haven't received one. We have cried for our church because of what the enemy was doing to it. At the end of the day, we have all sown some tears. We have sown them in our bathrooms, in our bedrooms, on our drives or Metro rides or bus rides, in our respective homes, and even within the inside of us where no one can hear us cry except God. As I also told you in the introduction, God wants you to know that He has captured those tears and that those tears count for something!

This statement can be made because the author concluded today's text by saying those who sow in tears "will reap with songs of joy". Ladies and gentlemen, because of the tears you have sown, you will reap the joy of happiness! You will reap the harvest of a job! You will reap the harvest of a happy marriage! You will reap the harvest of a happy home with your children! You will reap the harvest of a church back on the move for Christ! You will reap the harvest of not being alone! You will reap the harvest of great finances! As my pastor back in Greensboro, NC would say, this would happen to you because it's the consequential nature of God. What meant to have hurt you, God will turn it around and use it for your good (Romans 8:28). When God has bottled up all of the tears you have cried, look out because there's a rain coming full of blessings because you persevered, because you kept the faith, because you knew that God can do ALL things and help you to make it!

In closing, tears for the most part, denotes sadness or hurt within a person. At times, tears are shedded when they are happy as well. Whatever your tears are about on today, PLEASE KNOW that as you have sown your tears, He will bless you with joy and a joyful song to sing! If you have not received your joy yet, give it time because it's coming!