Ugbaja SAM'S Corner.

TODAY'S SERMON..14 /06/2026

WHEN GOD TURNS TEARS INTO TESTIMONIES

Text: Psalm 126:1-6

Introduction

Praise the Lord!

Beloved brothers and sisters, there is something about God's restoration that leaves people speechless. There are blessings that arrive so unexpectedly, so powerfully, and so wonderfully that people struggle to explain them.

Have you ever received an answer to prayer that made you pause and ask yourself, "Is this really happening to me?" Have you ever witnessed God move in such a way that it felt like a dream?

That is exactly what the people of Israel experienced in Psalm 126.

For many years they had lived in Babylonian captivity. Their beloved city, Jerusalem, had been destroyed. Their temple had been ruined. Many had lost hope of ever seeing their homeland again.

Yet, when all hope seemed lost, God stepped in.

The God who had promised restoration fulfilled His promise.

The God who had allowed them to pass through a season of suffering brought them into a season of rejoicing.

And that is why Psalm 126 is not just Israel's story. It is also our story.

Because every one of us knows what it means to go through difficult seasons. We know what it means to cry. We know what it means to wait. We know what it means to pray and wonder when God will answer.

But Psalm 126 reminds us that tears are never the end of the story for God's children.

The God who allows a season of weeping also prepares a season of rejoicing.

Today, I want us to consider three powerful truths from this Psalm.

1. NEVER FORGET WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU

The Psalm begins with these beautiful words:

"When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream."

Notice who performed the miracle.

The Psalm does not say:

"When our intelligence delivered us."

It does not say:

"When our friends rescued us."

It does not say:

"When our government helped us."

It says:

"When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion."

God did it.

The people understood that their restoration was not the result of human effort. It was the result of divine intervention.

Sometimes God moves in such a way that nobody can take the glory except Him.

Sometimes He opens a door that nobody can shut.

Sometimes He makes a way where there appears to be no way.

Sometimes He lifts a person beyond what human qualifications can explain.

And when He does it, everybody knows it was God.

The people said,

"We were like them that dream."

In other words, "We could hardly believe it."

It was too good to be true.

The restoration was so sudden, so complete, and so wonderful that it felt unreal.

Child of God, never underestimate what God can do.

The God who restored Israel after seventy years of captivity is still the same God today.

The situation you call impossible is not impossible for Him.

The problem that keeps you awake at night does not intimidate God.

The mountain before you is small compared to His power.

Somebody here today may have stopped expecting good news.

You have waited for so long that disappointment has become familiar.

But I came to remind you that God specializes in doing what men call impossible.

What He did before, He can do again.

Their Tears Became Laughter

Verse 2 says:

"Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing."

What a beautiful picture.

The same mouths that had cried were now laughing.

The same tongues that had complained were now singing.

The same people who sat by Babylon's rivers weeping were now celebrating.

Only God can perform that kind of transformation.

Many of us can testify to this truth.

There were seasons when we cried ourselves to sleep.

Seasons when we carried burdens too heavy to explain.

Seasons when our hearts were broken.

Yet somehow God brought us through.

Today, we are standing because His grace sustained us.

And if God has done it before, He can do it again.

2. DON'T SETTLE FOR PARTIAL RESTORATION

Then we arrive at verse 4:

"Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south."

At first this sounds strange.

Hadn't God already restored them?

Yes, He had.

But not everything had been restored.

The people had returned home, but there was still much work to be done.

The city needed rebuilding.

The economy needed healing.

The nation needed renewal.

In other words, restoration had begun, but it was not yet complete.

And that is where many believers find themselves today.

Perhaps God has already answered some of your prayers.

Yet there are still areas that need His touch.

You may have recovered physically, but still need emotional healing.

You may have experienced financial improvement, but still need stability.

You may have seen progress in your family, but still need complete reconciliation.

The lesson here is simple:

Never stop praying until God's work is complete.

The God who starts a good work is able to finish it.

The Psalmist prayed:

"Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south."

The Negev desert was known for its dryness.

For much of the year it appeared lifeless.

Then suddenly the rains would come.

Streams would begin to flow.

The barren landscape would be transformed.

The Psalmist was saying:

"Lord, send sudden restoration."

"Lord, bring life where there is dryness."

"Lord, bring abundance where there is emptiness."

Maybe your life feels like a desert today.

Maybe a particular situation looks hopeless.

Maybe a dream has been delayed for years.

The God who sends streams into deserts can still send streams into your situation.

He is able to revive what seems dead.

He is able to restore what appears lost.

He is able to complete what He has started.

3. KEEP SOWING EVEN WHEN YOU ARE CRYING

The Psalm closes with one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture.

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

Notice carefully that God does not pretend tears do not exist.

The Christian life is not free from pain.

Believers experience disappointments.

Believers face trials.

Believers go through seasons of uncertainty.

But God promises that tears are not wasted.

The picture here is of a farmer carrying seed into the field.

The seed is precious.

The farmer cannot afford to lose it.

Yet he plants it anyway.

He trusts that what goes into the ground will eventually come back as a harvest.

This is how faith works.

Sometimes you pray while crying.

Sometimes you serve while hurting.

Sometimes you worship with a heavy heart.

Sometimes you continue trusting God when nothing around you makes sense.

And God says:

"Keep sowing."

"Keep believing."

"Keep praying."

"Keep serving."

"Keep trusting."

Because your harvest is coming.

Verse 6 contains a powerful word:

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing."

I love that word:

Doubtless.

Not maybe.

Not perhaps.

Not if circumstances permit.

Doubtless.

God is giving us a guarantee.

The harvest may take time.

But it is coming.

The answer may be delayed.

But it is coming.

The breakthrough may seem far away.

But it is coming.

The God who made the promise cannot fail.

Conclusion

My brothers and sisters, Psalm 126 teaches us that God is still the God of restoration.

He turns captivity into freedom.

He turns mourning into dancing.

He turns deserts into rivers.

He turns tears into testimonies.

Perhaps today you are carrying a burden nobody knows about.

Perhaps you have been praying for a long time.

Perhaps you are tired, discouraged, and wondering when your season will change.

Hear the Word of the Lord today:

Do not give up.

Do not throw away your faith.

Do not stop praying.

Do not stop trusting.

The God who restored Zion is still on the throne.

Your tears are not forgotten.

Your prayers are not ignored.

Your labour is not in vain.

And in God's appointed time, your mouth shall be filled with laughter, your tongue with singing, and your heart with thanksgiving.

For the Lord shall do great things for you.

And you shall be glad.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Type Amen and claim the promise.