We Hold the Hope – Psalm 126

A text – Psalm 126          

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

A reflection:

Have you ever felt a little miserable and really wanted to get away from what you were doing? At those moments, have you ever taken a little mental vacation into the past, remembering a time when you felt that all was right with the world? Sometimes you recall a person from your past with whom you were always amused or delighted or to whom you were grateful for the times of happiness you spent together long ago. I could tell you many stories of extraordinary times in my past that I look back on fondly. I have a very happy life these days. But I could imagine if things were not going well for me, I might long for an escape to something like what I once knew. I could imagine that if my world became oppressive or dangerous, I might long for, even pray to God for a restoration of the happy times.

Psalm 126 is such a song – remembering when life was glad and all the world knew that God had rescued us from some very bad times.  It describes the turn from deep sadness to great joy. Just look at the picture verse 6 paints: “Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” They leave in the morning, crying, to the fields to plant seeds. They return in joy in the evening with the crop in hand. It is a miracle. Everything is as it should be, as it should always have been.

God doesn’t make life constantly perfect for God’s beloved children. But God’s many rescues and restorations in the past always give us a way of escaping to hope and, at the very least, the promise of a hopeful future. We hold the hope, even as we live through a torturous time. God created us with imagination and memory. Thes are gifts we can use whenever we need them. Even in our stress and gloom, we hold the hope. Is these someone who needs you to hold hope for them today?

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving us hope to hold every day. Help us to remember that you are faithful and promise us good times once again. It is our job to hold onto the hope for a restored future. Amen.