Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your word and we pray now that you will teach and encourage us through your word this morning.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we will come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves!  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD4uo0L-SiI)

Did anyone used to watch Little House on the Prairie?  This was one of the regular hymns I remember them singing in the little white wooden church.

It was hard work on the prairie, and they often sowed in tears, but they would always sing and give thanks to the Lord his goodness and prayed to him in times of trouble.  Things didn’t always end up ‘happily ever after’.  Often real hardship was portrayed, there was poverty, illness, and death but faith in the Lord was real too, and he guided and comforted them and brought them joy.

Real life is full of hardship and grief and times of laughter and joy.  They can co-exist or there may be seasons of tears and seasons of joy.

Often when we are in the midst of tears and grief it can be hard to imagine joy again, but as Christians we have real hope to hang on to and real joy to look forward to.

This psalm reminds us to remember the good things the Lord has done and to have hope in the future joy that is in store for us.

This is one of 15 psalms with the title A song of ascents.  These psalms may have been sung by pilgrims ascending the road to Jerusalem (which was on a mountain) for the three great festivals; Passover, the Feast of weeks (we know as Pentecost) and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Many consider the psalm to be written in the context of the Israelites returning from exile in Babylon after 70 long years.  In psalm 137 we read of the captives weeping by the waters of Babylon…you possibly know the song By the waters of Babylon, where we sat down, and there we wept, as we remembered Zion…

The Israelites had wept for their home, their land, their temple.  They had sinned against God and had been captured and exiled.  But as always God may a way for restoration.  God spoke to King Cyrus, a new King of Persia to help them return to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Their weeping was turned to laughter and their tongues filled with songs of joy as they returned to their land.  They were like those who’s dream came true.  How good it must have been to set out on the road, they could hardly believe they were free.  I bet they were singing as they walked.  Remembering the goodness of the Lord.

Has anything really good ever happened to you that you must pinch yourself, because you think you must be dreaming?

It makes me think of the story in Acts 12 when the Lord sent an angel to rescue Peter from Prison.  Do you remember, he thought he was dreaming when he found himself outside in the street…and then he went to his friend’s house and they thought the girl who answered the door must have seen his angel!

The Lord does do great things for us that sometimes feel too good to be true!

Do we sing the Lord’s praises and give him the thanks and praise for the good things he does in our lives?  We have had our time of sharing and giving thanks this morning, it is encouraging to acknowledge God and proclaim his good hand upon our lives.

As we remember the Lord’s goodness we should be filled with joy.  Joy is mentioned 4 times in this short psalm, 3 times in the context of songs of joy.  I think the world would be a better place if we all just sang songs of joy more!!  And laughed more!

Laughter and singing are expressions of joy in this psalm.  Both are filled with positive energy.  Both well up from deep within us.  We call a good laugh, a belly laugh, because it comes from deep down, joy that whelms up and comes out in a joyous noise.

Both singing and laughter are good for us…there is even laughter therapy these days and think of the benefits of singing such as the Choir of hard knocks.

The acts in themselves are good for us, they therefore should be all the more beneficial for Christians who can laugh and sing in response to the giver of joy and good things.

We just sang “To God be the glory” great things he has done, so loved he the world that he gave us his son…Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!  Great things he has taught us, great things he has done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son…

This psalm teaches us to place our hope in the faithful one who has done great things and will do them again and again.

As the Israelites arrived back in Jerusalem they were faced with different troubles.  The temple was in ruin, they faced opposition, it took a lot of hard work to rebuild the temple.  There was no doubt lots of tears and lots of prayers.

The second half of this psalm is a prayer, acknowledging the depths of their difficulties, but with hope that God can restore and turn their tears to joy.

The Negev was a dry and parched land in the southern part of Judah.  But in the winter and spring, rains could suddenly send waters rushing through the desert.  Grass and flowers would spring forth suddenly, almost overnight.

And so, this image speaks of a sudden outpouring of God’s blessing.  Just like when their fortunes changed with the new King Cyrus supporting their return to Jerusalem.  They pray here that once again the Lord would restore their fortunes.

The rebuilding of the wall and the temple didn’t happen all of a sudden…they did sow in sweat and tears, but they put their trust in their faithful God.  Well at least their leader Nehemiah did!  Their hard work was eventually productive…their prayer was answered; that those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

The Old Testament is full of stories of God restoring people from their suffering.  Remember the book of Ruth we studied last year.  The grief and sorrow that Naomi felt as she was widowed, with both sons also dying.  She returned to Bethlehem at the time of the harvest and the Lord restored her fortunes through her daughter in law Ruth and kinsman redeemer Boaz.  She moved from feeling bitter and empty to being filled with laughter and joy.

Ruth went into the wheat fields empty handed but returned ‘bringing in the sheaves.’  Not just wheat for bread to fill their stomachs, but a husband, a son, a restored fortune.

There are many who weep around the world right now suffering exile, grief, pain, fear, hopelessness.  We all experience times of trouble and this psalm encourages us to remember the Lord and the great things he has done!

The gospel reading from John 12, tells the story of Mary pouring perfume on the feet of Jesus, preparing him for his burial.  Did she know he was soon to be killed?  Did she also have hope in the resurrection?  Jesus had recently raised her brother Lazarus from death to life.

In the corresponding story of Jesus being anointed with perfume in the gospel of Luke chapter 7, we have a ‘sinful woman’ pouring perfuming on Jesus’ feet and washing them with her tears.  Jesus loved her and as he forgave her, she would have experienced freedom from the captivity of sin.  Tears to joy.

Many wept as Jesus went to the cross to die, but 3 days later their sorrow was turned to laughter and joy.  Jesus himself wept tears as he went to the cross, but his suffering brought forth a wonderful harvest restoring the fortunes of those who believe in him, offering abundant life now and forever. Our sorrowful reflection on Good Friday turns to celebration on Easter morning.

If you are going through a desert time, or time of sorrow then look to Jesus and remember the good things he has done.

Let us pray for all those suffering and weeping that they too may have hope.

From psalm 30 we read…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.  And from Lamentations 3: 22-23, in the middle of their suffering and despair we read; this I call to mind and therefore I have hope; Because of the Lords’ great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Let us pray:  Lord, we thank you for your unfailing love and faithfulness.  We pray for those who sow in tears that they will reap with songs of joy.  Fill our mouths with laughter and our tongues with songs of joy that we may spread your joy to this broken and sorrowing world.  May we be labourer’s sowing seed or bringing in the harvest of the lost and grieving.  Thank you for sending Jesus to restore us to yourself.  Thank you that one day we will leave all the sorrows of this world behind for the eternal joy that awaits us in heaven, or will rejoice on the day Jesus returns bringing your complete rule and reign on earth as it is in heaven.

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]

Bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;

Amen.

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.

2 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]

3 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]