December 18, 2025 Devo

Can you imagine what the homes and fields of the Israelites looked like after being left idle for 70 years? Think about how overgrown they would be and how much work it would take to clear, plow, and get the ground ready again. Though they were now free, there was still much work to be done. It would take an extraordinary effort by everyone in the family. They would have to work endless hours. There would be much blood, sweat, and tears. But one day, if they didn’t give up, there would be a harvest again. And their tears would give way to joy. Sometimes the promise of restoration comes with a price. Are YOU willing to pay that kind of price?
This verse is an important one because most of us want an easy fix to complex problems. And it’s usually not that way. We spend years making a mess of our marriages and then want a counselor to fix it in six sessions. We live horribly unhealthy lifestyles and end up 50 pounds overweight with cascading health issues, and we want to fix it with a four-week crash diet. We spend ridiculous amounts of money on things we can’t afford and don’t need, and end up buried in debt. Then we want a magic loan that offers easy terms and lets us continue living as irresponsibly as we have been.
But we don’t reap a harvest that way. There are tears and pain to get back to where we want to be. For couples to be healed, there is confession, admission, listening, and learning. There is ownership to be taken and amends to be made. To reclaim our health takes a lifestyle change, not the latest diet fad. The right foods have to replace junk foods. Walking and exercise have to replace TV on the couch. And being financially free requires discipline and self-denial. You have to attack debt like an enslaving enemy. Like the financial guru Dave Ramsey says, “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.” That’s why most people don’t do it.
The tears of the Israelites were their faith in action. God had given them a second chance. But the road to restoration was a hard one. God had done His part. Now they would have to do theirs. There would be tears and pain at first. But one day, there would be JOY! How about you? Have you recently had a “wake-up call” from God? Has He recently given you a second chance, a fresh start, or a chance to rebuild? The road to rebuilding your life may be a hard one. But the tears are your faith put to action. You do your part and trust God to do His. Go plant in tears. One day, those tears will give way to shouts of joy! That’s God’s Word for you today.