Some things just need to die...

Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalms 126:5-6

Gardening is not my thing. I always have good intentions, and I love picking out flowers. But the actual work part of it, it’s just not my thing. I don’t like getting my fingernails all dingy, and I really don’t like finding worms in the dirt. Although I love a beautiful garden, I would rather someone else plant and maintain it. Good thing I married a former lawn guy, right?

Psalms 126:6 says that those who go out weeping carrying seed to sew will return singing songs of joy. Well, I can assure you that if I am going into my garden to sew some seed, I am probably whiney weeping because I don’t want to do the work! But as the rest of the verse tells us, we have to do the work to get the harvest!
I want to pull your thoughts to another verse as well, Isaiah 53:4. The Message states it like this, “We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried-our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!” Talk about carrying some sorrow. I can barely carry the bondage of my own sin, and yet He carried the world.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful visuals I carry around is that of Jesus praying in the Garden before His crucifixion, overcome with sorrow. I just imagine Him there prostrate before the Father, begging for some relief from the great pain. He would bear the sin of the world, my sin, and yet He knew this cup of suffering had to pass, so He carried it. He did the work. He sewed the ultimate seed.

He went out weeping, carrying my sin, covered with my shame, and yet He had a seed to sew. A seed of forgiveness that would change my life…all of our lives…forever.
When the time came, He bore my shame at the cross, and I bear it no more. And I fall down on my knees holding my sheaves up to Him, knowing that they are all because of Jesus.

And yet I find myself still stinging with sorrow at times. Prone to guilt, I often carry around my sin longer than I need to. Having repented at the cross, I still carry the guilt.

How about you? Do you found yourself still going out weeping with your seed over past sin and regret? If you do, might I offer you a thought?

Your sin died at the cross. So why do you continue to try and revive it? Some things just need to die. Your sin, your false guilt, it needs to die. Guilt is not from God, conviction is, but not guilt. You are forgiven sister. And while your sin died at the cross, you did not. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior you are raised to walk in new life. It is time to return from the fields of sorrow and guilt singing songs of joy, and carrying the sheaves of blessing with you. Your life has been redeemed from the pit dear sister, and I know you may not “feel” it. But SEW WHAT!!!! You go out and you SEW anyways, knowing that sheaves of blessing WILL come because OUR God, the God we serve, HE IS FAITHFUL!!!!