Psalm 126

On our journey to the heavenly Jerusalem, we may face not only personal disappointments, but also serious setbacks that hit the entire people of God. When these are reversed by the Lord, when the Lord restores the fortunes of His people, His Zion, there will be cause for great joy.

Imagine what it will be like for the suffering church when the trumpet sounds, when the dead in Christ are raised, when we have the fullness of healing in body and soul at the return of the Lord. We have a taste of that great final restoration of life in every blessing that comes from above even now.

If a church community passes through a difficult time, it is refreshing to enter a season of relief. Think of Israel when the ark of the covenant was returned to Jerusalem after an earlier failed attempt. Or the decree of Cyrus calling the Jews to return to the land and rebuild the temple. God gives His people moments of extreme turnaround when our sorrow turns to laughter, and we experience great joy together in His presence.

Sometimes the good news is very hard to believe. Think about the joy and doubt of the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus. What an amazing new era had come to them! Yet after the shock of the cross, the resurrection seemed too good to be true. Yet when the Lord ascended into heaven on clouds of glory, His small band of followers had great joy in Him, in His death for us, and in His victory over death.

The Lord has done great things for us. Yet our fortunes may again seem more difficult than we can bear. We wait in hope for the coming resurrection and the return of our King. Yet we face profound moments of loss.

The assurance of God to us is that if we sow in tears, we will one day reap with joy. Even the burial of our precious seed will not be the end of the story for us or for them. One day we will have shouts of joy again. Our personal sorrows will yield to abounding triumph, and the trials of the church will suddenly give way to the eternal weight of glory that Christ has reserved for us even now in the heavens.

Come soon, Lord Jesus!