Sowing in Tears, Reaping in Joy

Psalm 125-126

Immanuel – 11/8/26

Deep in the mountains of the country of Georgia lies a small city called Mestia. For centuries, Georgia suffered invasions from some of the most powerful armies on earth: the Mongols, Persians, Ottomans, and more. Cities were conquered, communities devastated, and Islam repeatedly threatened and persecuted Georgia’s Christian heritage.

But high up in the Caucasus Mountains, the people of Mestia enjoyed an extraordinary degree of protection. The towering mountains surrounding Mestia formed such a formidable natural defense that, for centuries, the citizens of Mestia were unusually sheltered from foreign conquest. In fact, the mountains provided such security that the region became a refuge for Georgia’s Christian culture.

          Imagine living in such a place. Invading armies are sweeping across the countryside; cities are burning, villages are destroyed. Yet all around your home stand colossal walls of rock and ice. What a great comfort to dwell securely within such a mighty fortress.

          In Psalm 125, when the psalmist looks at Mount Zion, surrounded by the mountains of Jerusalem, he sees the way God protects his people. The pilgrim journeys to the place of greatest protection! In Psalm 126, we discover that these same pilgrims still experience sorrow, yet God promises to turn their tears into joy. And between these two psalms we will find that God has made marvelous promises to us—promises that remain true through every season of our lives.

          Main Point

          Through tears and joy, trust in the Lord with all your heart!

Read Psalm 125:1

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. People are compared to a mountain! Blasting winds, raging storms, generations rise and fall, but the mountains remain. And the psalmist says those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved, but abide forever. Hear what that means! Because we trust in the Lord, he makes us as unshakable as a mountain!

Without him we are tossed all around, easily overwhelmed, constantly unsure of what is true, fearful of the unknown. We are like people of the open plains, anxious about the next invasion, uncertain if we will survive what is coming. Yet we desperately want to find something that will make us secure!

There are lesser mountains. When Eric Moore preached a few weeks ago, he mentioned how people in the Old Testament would worship their false gods on top of high places. Likewise, we think we can find safety and stability on mountains of idolatry. So we climb higher in our careers. We strive to sit atop some amount of money in the bank, thinking we will finally have rest. Or we step on other people, using them to make us feel better, more desirable, more powerful.

We think if we can just reach the summit, we will finally be safe. But these are mountains of sand. It’s amazing how quickly money vanishes. A factory opens in Asia, or a development is made in AI, and a career ends. People’s approval is like chasing wind. And when all these hills of sand slip away, your security goes too. Then comes again the fear, the anxiety, the insecurity.

But when our security comes from God, we stand upon an unmovable mountain. We become like the mountain!

          The pilgrims who sang this psalm knew hardship. Israel’s history is filled with invasion and destruction. Yet the psalmist proclaims that those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved. What a remarkable promise! And that promise belongs to us, brother and sisters! For as Paul writes,

All God’s promises find their “Yes” in [Jesus].            -2 Corinthians 1:20

          God has made you a promise. He has given you a life more stable than Mount Everest. Do you believe him for that?

          There is this moment in Mark’s Gospel, when a desperate father came to Jesus seeking help for his son. Jesus said, “All things are possible for the one who believes.” And the father cries out,

          I believe; help my unbelief!           -Mark 9:24

          What a prayer! This man truly believes, yet he knows how weak his faith can be.                     

Isn’t that our experience? “Lord, I believe your promises. I know you are faithful. But I am struggling to trust you with what is happening in my life.”

I believe; help my unbelief!

          Read Psalm 125:2

If you’re unfamiliar with the landscape of Jerusalem, there are hills and mountains all around. Its geography provides a natural measure of defense, much like the mountains surrounding Mestia.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.

I love this picture of God’s protective power and love! And notice that word forevermore. These mountain have stood for millennia, but the Lord’s protection will endure long after the mountains have eroded into dust. As long as God lives, so shall his people!

When your life is shaken, when uncertainty rushes in, when tomorrow seems frightening, do you believe the Lord surrounds you with his protection?

I believe; help my unbelief!

Read Psalm 125:3

A scepter is the symbol of a king’s dominion and might. The scepter of the wicked represents the oppressive rule of evil men over God’s people.

          See the promise: the scepter of the wicked may strike the land allotted to the righteous, but it will not remain forever. And with the promise comes a warning also. Lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. See the concern? When wickedness seems to prosper, the righteous may weary of doing good, wondering if their faithfulness is worth it. Knowing the weakness of his people, God promises that the reign of wickedness will not last forever.

          I know, after the developments of this past week, that many of you feel like the scepter of the wicked has come to rest on our land. But whatever your affiliations, evils do rest upon America. We see political manipulation, dangerous ideas, and deep divisiveness gripping society. But I want to be clear about something: America is not, nor has it ever been, the kingdom of God.

          The land allotted to the righteous—in the covenantal age in which we live—is the kingdom of God. Nation-states might be influenced by that kingdom, but nation-states are not the kingdom. Christ’s kingdom is most manifest on earth through the church! And we who belong to Christ are citizens of his kingdom!

          The scepter of the wicked may oppress the people of God, but it will never overthrow the kingdom of God. Christ’s throne will never be replaced!

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.                                                                                   -Isaiah 9:7

          When you see the wicked prospering, the church marginalized, the culture becoming increasingly immoral, do you believe that Christ will crush the scepter of the wicked?

          I believe; help my unbelief!

Read Psalm 125:4-5

How we should learn from these verses! Even though the psalmist is convinced of the immovability of God’s people, and the sovereign security he powerfully provides, still the psalmist prays that the Lord would do good to his people.

Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!

          When the Bible tells us “No one does good, not even one,” and everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:12,23), then who are these good people?

          Throughout Scripture, God has promised salvation to those who look to him in faith. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. And now we know that sinners are justified through faith in Jesus Christ. His righteousness is counted as ours, and through his Spirit, God begins transforming our hearts. The good people of verse 4, are those that trust God for every goodness – and not themselves.

But in verse 5, the psalmist speaks of those who turn aside to their own crooked ways. They have rejected God’s way for their own way. They are the masters of their own destiny. They are the embodiment of Sinatra's famous song, My Way.

          For what is man, what has he got?

          If not himself, then he has naught.

          To say the things he truly feels,

          And not the words of one who kneels.

          The record shows I took the blows,

          And did it my way.                   Yes, it was my way.

          Sinatra’s way is a crooked way. Refusing to kneel to the King of kings, who saves men’s souls, is arrogant and foolish. The psalmist warns that the Lord will lead such people away with the evil doers.

          Brothers and sisters, there are only two destinations. Those who persist in their rebellion against God will face his everlasting judgment. But those who turn from their selfish sinfulness, and trust in Jesus Christ, will dwell forever in his kingdom of peace. For Jesus is the Prince of Peace, ruling over a glorious realm of shalom, giving citizenship to all who bow their knee to Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

                                                                   -Proverbs 3:5-6

Those who choose their own way choose a crooked way. Those who trust in the Lord with all their heart are led along the path of life.

So join the psalmist in prayer: Do good, O Lord, to those who look to you for goodness, who trust you with all their heart!

When you struggle to believe that God will do what he has promised, pray! And when you are certain that God will act, as the psalmist is, still, pray! A heart at rest in faith is a heart active in prayer!

I believe; help my unbelief!           

          Oh, cling to the promises of Psalm 125! Those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved. The Lord surrounds them forever. Wickedness will never prevail against the people of God.

          Then we come to Psalm 126 and find that the people who cannot be moved, are still people who weep. Their security in the Lord has not spared them from sorrow.

Read Psalm 126:1-3

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Restored fortunes: It describes a dramatic reversal of circumstances. The psalmist remembers a breathtaking deliverance. Perhaps he remembers Israel’s return from Babylonian captivity. Babylon had burned Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and taken its people into exile.

By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.

                                                                   -Psalm 137:1

But God had not forgotten his promises! After Babylon fell to Persia, King Cyrus permitted the exiles to return home. And then they returned! What seemed impossible happened before their eyes. We were like those who dream! It was almost too wonderful to believe.

And what joy their deliverance produced! Their mouths were filled with laughter, their tongues with shouts of joy. Even the surrounding nations recognized what God has accomplished: The Lord has done great things for them! And Israel responds: The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad!

How much more can we say these things in Jesus Christ?! We were dead in our trespasses and sins, bound to be counted among the evil doers and led away to destruction. Yet God, being rich in mercy, sent his Son to save us! Jesus bore our sins upon the cross and on the third day rose from the dead! Through faith in him we have been brought from death to life, and we shall live forevermore! What a restoration!

Has the Lord done great things for you? Do you know for sure, that he has forgiven your sins and promised you everlasting life? Then surely you have reason to rejoice! Yes, this is the electric truth behind our vision statement at Immanuel: So all people will know joy in God.

And I know it can be a struggle to feel that joy. You know what Christ has done for you, yet your heart is heavy. Then like that desperate father, cry out:

I believe; help my unbelief!

Read Psalm 126:4

Did you catch that? In verse 1, the psalmist rejoices over the restoration of Israel, and now he asks God to restore their fortunes! What is going on?

Their restoration was incomplete. Even after having been delivered from captivity, Jerusalem lay in ruins. Deliverance had come, but there was so much that needed to be rebuilt and restored. Much work needed to be done before Jerusalem looked glorious.

This is us, church, when we come to Christ. Our sins have been forgiven and we are delivered, we have been reconciled to God, yet sin has wrought so much ruin in our lives. There are broken relationships. Fires of temptation are burning all around. Where we used to go for security has utterly collapsed. And now the Lord is rebuilding our lives upon Christ. We rejoice in our salvation even while struggling with the destructive effects of sin. And we eagerly await the day when Christ will complete our restoration!

So while we walk amongst ruins, we remember what God has already done, cling to his mighty promises, and ask him to act again. The way that waters would make green the deserts of the Negeb, restore our fortunes, O Lord! However barren my life might seem…

I believe; help my unbelief!

Read Psalm 126:5-6

A farmer goes out into his field, carrying seed for sowing; but he is weeping. Is there a drought and he feels he sows in vain? Is his family starving now, and the food of his field will come too late? Whatever it is, he is overcome with sorrow. Yet he faithfully scatters the seed, trusting the harvest will indeed come. He cannot command the rain or make the seed grow. He can tend his field, but the harvest ultimately depends upon the Lord's provision—and that is where he rests his hope.

And we know something about dark seasons here in the Mohawk Valley, where winter clouds can seem to linger endlessly. Look again at this farmer. He does not let his sadness hold him in bed. Even through the tears, still he sows. This is what faithfulness looks like. Worshipping God with a heavy heart and praising him through tears. Sharing the gospel, mourning how vain it feels. Praying and praying and praying and seeing so little change. You are sowing in tears.

And the Lord sees! He knows the burdens you carry. Keep sowing! Continue in the work he has given you, trusting in his everlasting promises!

There may be sorrows that stay with us until the day we die. But God has promised a restoration beyond anything we could experience in this present age. Remember what Jesus told his disciples just before one of the darkest moments in all of history.

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”    -John 16:20

And on the third day, an eternity of woe was broken when Jesus burst from the grave! Surely there were a flood of tears, but not from sorrow, from an overwhelming, against all odds, joy! That is what the resurrection is for us, brothers and sisters: though we deserved the most depressing of all ends, against all odds, beyond all that we could ask or imagine, God has showered on us his favor—a love without height, breadth, depth, nor width—and guaranteed our resurrection! There is no greater joy! Our great protector has secured our souls eternally, and we shall be with him!

He who goes out weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

What a harvest of salvation awaits the people of God!

Do you believe? When life is hard, when the news is bad, when sorrows surround; do you believe the Lord will lift you up like a mountain, surround you with walls of protection, and one day turn your tears into laughter? Do you trust he can do that? Do you believe?

I believe; help my unbelief!

Fellow pilgrims, one day the journey will end. We shall stand before the great King, our Savior, and he will wipe away every tear. (Though I fully expect to weep from joy, and relief, and hope realized.) But until then, we keep looking to him. In seasons of joy, we give him praise. Through seasons of sorrow, we trust in his promises, and give him praise.

When faith is weak, we cry out, I believe; help my unbelief!

For the Lord who surrounds his people will faithfully keep them to the end. And those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

So through your tears and through your joy, trust in the Lord with all your heart!

He has promised. And if you trust him, as long as he lives, so shall you!

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad!