When God gives us a vision, we must be prepared for the possibility that we'll shed some tears over it, because every vision comes with a price. The road to fulfilling our vision is full of tests and trials. There's no easy shortcut. But God has promised that there will be a harvest: ‘Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest’ (Psalm 126:5-6 NLT). That Scripture teaches us two things:

1) There's a season for weeping. This isn’t an excuse for doing nothing, or a posture of weakness that brings us to tears because life isn't fair and things are tough. Nehemiah was moved to tears over Jerusalem’s ruins. Then he developed a plan, put together a team, and rebuilt it. So what moves you? What do you feel passionate about?

2) There's a season for reaping. Everything in life has a reason and a season (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). When we understand the reason and make the most of the season, we become ‘like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season’ (Psalm 1:3 NIV). Note the words ‘in season’. Fruit won’t grow before its time. That’s why we must be aware of the changing seasons of our lives and adjust to them. That’s particularly true when it’s harvest time. We must try to recognise when it’s time to stop weeping and start reaping; otherwise, we'll miss our harvest. Tears are for the sower, but joy is for the reaper.

So, when our season changes, let's harvest our fields with joy. We'll have already paid the price, so harvest time is the season to enjoy what God's promised us.

What Now?

What season do you feel you’re in at the moment? Ask God to help you understand what He’s teaching you while you’re in that season.