Bible Studies

---

The Songs
Psalm 126 – Sprouting Joy
Key Verses: (NRSV)

• 1: "When the Lord restored…" – Probably referring to the return from exile in Babylon, this Psalm points out that the end of misery and despair is an accomplishment only capable by God.
  
  
• 2: "Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy." – Exuberant joy follows where God leads.
  
  
• 3: "The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced." – By looking back at how God responded to their needs provides hope for a future of continued blessings.
  
  li>4: "Restore our fortunes, O Lord." – A prayer of hope that blossoms from experience.
  
  
• 5: "May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy." – A blessing that illustrates that joy and hope will spring forth with a plentiful harvest from the seeds of sorrow.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Have you despaired? Have you experienced times of great sorrow in your life? As you think back on those events, is it possible that within your sorrow the seeds of joy were planted? Can you find the joy that grew out of your pain? The psalmist suggests that we experience cycles of life where seasons of well-being alternate with seasons of anguish and despair. Do you agree that this on-going tension between joy and suffering exists? What comfort do you gain from knowing this? Will it cause you to seek the seeds of joy that are sprouting during your time of pain?
  
  
• Have you been restored? Consider the amazing capability of the human body to restore its self. Have you had moments when you were so fatigued from long hours of exertion that you were certain you would not be able to take another step? Were you amazed at how quickly a little nourishment and rest restored your energies levels back to what they once were? Have you been severely ill or recovering from a surgery when you felt your life could never be the same? Were you surprised by the speed of the recuperating process? Do these examples of the body's power to recuperate illustrate how God works at restoring you from times of pain, suffering, and grief?
  
  
• What great things has the Lord done for you? Can you list them? Could you create a scrapbook of God's blessings? Do you spend time sharing the results of His blessings with others? Do you rejoice? Do you "come home with shouts of joy" carrying with you the bounty of God's great harvest?
  

Promise of the Gospel:

Psalm 126 helps us to remember that every divine act of deliverance is an event for joy and praise, and every setback a time for renewed prayer and trust that God will help again and again. We may experience cycles in our lives that take us from the exuberance of springtime, filled with joy and hope, into the winter of despair with suffering, and pain. The good news is that spring will once again return. All is not dark and cold. Within our sorrow, deep within the soils of our gloom, seeds are germinating and sprouting, ready to burst forth from the warmth of God's love.
FUMC Devotionals

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE