[When
preparing His disciples for His upcoming death on the cross, Jesus said to
them:]
…you have
sorrow now, but I will see you again,
and your
hearts will rejoice,
and no one
will take your joy from you.”
John 16:22,
ESV
On the very day my heart was particularly sorrowful over
several situations, my daily readings took me to the January 20th
devotional in Streams in the Desert. There I received new insights (much
appreciated ones, I might add) regarding the benefits of sorrow. (Yes, benefits of sorrow.)
I had to stop
frequently as I read, in order to reflect on the meaning of sentences such as
this one: Sorrow is God’s tool to plow
the depths of the soul, that it may yield richer harvests.
In that reading, I also found this short verse by Maltbie
Davenport Babcock (1858-1901), a clergyman and writer who also authored hymns
(including one of my favorites, This Is
My Father’s World).
The dark
brown soil is turned
By the
sharp-pointed plow;
And I’ve a
lesson learned.
My life is but
a field,
Stretched
out beneath God’s sky,
Some
harvest rich to yield.
Where grows
the golden grain?
Where
faith? Where sympathy?
In a furrow
cut by pain.
My sorrowing heart gladly received those insights
that helped me look beyond the sad realities and see the blessings
sorrow can bring. For example, sorrow slows us down, causes us to think more
deeply and seriously about life and relationships and plans, prompts us to
cling even more tightly to our God, motivates us to seek to understand His will
and His ways, reminds us of our human frailties and His omnipotence, reveals to
us our total dependence upon Him, and much more.
