Mouths filled with laughter and tongues loosed with joy, that would be ideal. It’s the kind of delight your lungs can’t handle.
But, that kind of delight is not a constant state of emotion and maybe that’s why I liked singing this song so much on Sunday during communion. It is a peaceful prayer that believes God is faithful. It is a prayer that believes God will keep His promises. It is a prayer that trudges through death and sorrow and ugliness, believing God can and will restore.
Psalm 126 (Our Mouths They Were Filled)
Our mouths they were filled, filled with laughter
Our tongues they were loosed, loosed with joy
Restore us, O Lord
Restore us, O Lord
Although we are weeping
Lord, help us keep sowing
The seeds of Your Kingdom
For the day You will reap them
Your sheaves we will carry
Lord, please do not tarry
All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy
The nations will say, “He has done great things!”
The nations will sing songs of joy
Restore us, O Lord
Restore us, O Lord
This is a familiar heartbeat of mine that is hard to explain. It is the messy sadness I feel even while I am rooted in joy. It is hoping and believing when days are weighty and when words are flat. It is the joy of an eternal God who has promised restoration and will be faithful to deliver.
Although we are weeping
Lord, help us keep sowing
The seeds of Your kingdom
For the day You will reap them
Your sheaves we will carry
Lord, please do not tarry
All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy
And this is the good, hard work of believing Him for who He is. When we are weeping, He is the help to sow the seeds of His kingdom. When we are weak and afraid and tired and lazy and distracted, He is the strength we need to live outwardly and love unselfishly.
He is building a kingdom and He is using the weepers. He is populating heaven and He has not just asked the bubbly ones to be recruiters.
I love that He is the strength and the help for those who obey through tears. This is a hard fought believing. This is a daily grind believing and future grace is the rhythm.
I believe He is able to restore and I believe He is able to redeem.
And I believe He will.
MUSINGS IN THE MIDST 
they sang this in our church Sunday and I wept. It is precisely at the point of breaking but not breaking — weeping but having the strength to keep going — that I stand in awe. bless you.
Iris, I am so glad this song spoke to you in the same way it spoke to me. It is so mysterious how the Lord can meet us in that breaking point without shattering our souls. He is so good!
Reblogged this on musings in montage and commented:
This song is the picture of my soul today. He is building the kingdom and He is using the weepers.
“I love that He is the strength and the help for those who obey through tears. This is a hard fought believing. This is a daily grind believing and future grace is the rhythm”….Caroline we are praying for you and your family as you are in the midst of this battle! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, as it has blessed me as I fight the battle and live the daily grind.
This is one of my favorites, as you know. And so fitting. Singing along with you today.