Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sewing, shall doubtlessly come back rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.  Psalms 126:5-6, NKJV

And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9, ESV

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Old Gospel hymn

Have you ever had a close friend or family member who left the Lord? Maybe they had never followed the Lord in the first place. Either way, you were vitally concerned for their soul, often to the point of shedding tears. 

This is the way we should feel, I believe, if we truly understand what it means to be lost. I don't suppose there are many disappointments in life greater than the realization that someone you love, very much, is in danger of being separated from God for all eternity. This is especially hard when it is your son or daughter who has drifted away. That same sweet, innocent baby that you held in your arms, the one you would have done anything to make sure that they were safe, decides when they are grown that serving the Lord just isn't for them.

At the outset I should clearly state that the final judgement is not up to us, I am not for a moment suggesting that we have a right to violate Christ's instruction on this subject. The command, "Judge not that ye be not judged" is still as true today as the day it was given. However, we can see when people appear to be walking outside of God's way, and we can therefore see if someone appears to be in danger. If we could not see such a circumstance, how could we ever help anyone?

There is a wide array of emotions when a child leaves the path. There is anger, for you know that they were raised better than to be so selfish that they would turn their back on God. There is great sorrow, because you know what that rejection will lead to in the end. There is a sense of worry and sometimes even panic at the prospect of their leading a life that is outside of God's instruction, for such a life of disobedience always has significant consequences. Always, there is a sense of failure, thinking that there is something you missed that if you had only caught it before it was too late you could have avoided the seemingly endless nightmare you are now living through. And, of course, there are the grandchildren. What will their prospects for ever becoming faithful be, when they are being raised by those who have rejected God's way?

If you find yourself in such a situation, understand that you are not alone. The passage we read in the 126th Psalm was about just such a situation. Furthermore, these were God's chosen people who had gone so far astray that they ended up in captivity in a faraway land. God, too, experienced all of these emotions that we do when our children go astray and even more, for only He understands the true scope of that disobedience. But He also knows something that we do not: He knows that those with a good heart will return to Him given the right set of circumstances. 

That is why He says that those who sow in tears will someday reap in joy. That is why He encourages us to never give up, for if we do not grow weary, we will indeed reap that harvest we desire someday. And that harvest does not consist of something as inconsequential as fruit or grain; indeed, that harvest consists of the souls of those we love. This potential harvest is made up of our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, and our closest friends. There will be times of despair when we see that they are not responding quickly enough, but don't give up! It is very true that some will never repent, that some will continue to lead a life of stiff-necked disobedience before their Lord and Creator. Sadly, there will even be some who die in that state, without God and without hope. But...

there will be some who come back! There will be some whose hearts are tender enough to feel a genuine remorse and who will come back to God. These are the one the Psalmist was inspired to write about when he revealed that those who sow in tears will reap in joy. It's true that just as not every stalk of wheat will produce grain, that not every soul who hears the Good News will respond, but many will. It was Jesus Himself who reminded us that those who are faithful will indeed produce a harvest - some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold. Our part is not to decide who will respond to the Gospel's call. Our duty is simply to sow the seed. Sometimes it will be to dear friends and family who have once followed the truth but who have departed for a season. Sometimes it will be a sowing of the Word to those who have never really had a chance to hear the Good News before. Whatever the case, some will respond, and it will change their lives!

And, someday, God Himself will bring in those sheaves! Then we will understand what it means to sow in tears, but to reap in joy!

If you have a loved one who has left the path (or, perhaps, who has never been on that path of righteousness in the first place) don't give up. The stakes are too great for us to become derelict in our duties just because someone we love has. It is at times like these that we are most needed. It will not be fun, and our sowing of the seed will often not be appreciated... but sow we must! Even if that sowing is done in tears, for someday we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up!