December 19
Tears of Power
"Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."
A story taken from the S.S. Times reads; "Dr. John Timothy Stone tells of a visit which he paid to the old church of Robert Murray McCheyne. The aged sexton showed him around. Taking Dr. Stone into the study he pointed to a chair and said, "Sit there. That is where the master used to sit." Then he said, "Now put your elbows on the table." This was done. "Now bow your head upon your hands." Dr. Stone did so. "Now let the tears flow. That is the way the master used to do it." The visitor was then taken up into the pulpit, and the old sexton said, "Stand there behind the pulpit." Dr. Stone obeyed. "Now", said the sexton, "lean your elbows on the pulpit and put your face in your hands." This having been done, he said, "Now let the tears flow. That is the way the master used to do it." Then the old man added a testimony, which gripped the heart of his hearer. With tearful eyes and trembling voice he said, "He called down the power of God upon Scotland, and it is with us still."
God doesn’t work on the dry grounds beloved, and the desert will remain barren without the dew of heaven to water its thirsty ground. The Lord of the harvest reaps upon the soils that have been watered with the tears of its laborers. Fruit is gathered only upon the paths that have been hollowed out by the tears of the faithful who tread where the Lord beckons them. Simply put, tears are the dew of heaven when they are shed out of desperation for the Spirit of the Lord. The mourning soul that longs for the power of God to fall is being summoned from the portals of heaven. Without the Spirit of the living God the field will yield no harvest, for it is "…Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6). The servant of the Lord must not be dependent on his own strength or talents, on the advice of others, well calculated plans, the latest methods for success, or the power of positive thinking to succeed in the ministry the Lord has called him to. We must have the Spirit of the living God to accomplish the work of the living God.
What power there is for the servant who has discovered the precious secret of the harvest; his tears are not reserved for the hour of the harvest but poured out in the sowing of the seed. The true work is done long before we step foot on the soil of His fields. We often want the fruit of the field without the labor of preparation, apart from the agony of soul. We cannot take shortcuts in the work of the Lord, and there are no "cookie cutter" methods that we can follow in order to succeed in God’s Kingdom. We cannot side step this principal of sowing in Christendom no matter how grand the plan seems to be. God’s pattern for sowing is to sow in tears. A tear shed upon the seed today will yield a precious harvest in the field tomorrow, for He will "grant those who mourn in Zion, a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)
What does your heart long for? Are you seeking for an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit to fall fresh upon the barren earth? Do you hunger for the harvest? Are you desperate for the Spirit of the living God? I believe the tears we have shed in seeking Him can measure His Spirit in our lives.
As my tears fall, so fall upon me Holy Spirit.
Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.
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