Meet Jim Foley

In Psalm 126, the writer expresses the emotion of the nation of Israel upon returning to their land. Israel turned its back on God and their intimate relationship with Him. As a result, Israel ceased to receive His protection, leading to banishment and the Babylonian captivity. When they returned to their homeland, they were so overwhelmed with emotion, they felt like they were dreaming. They were so grateful and told all the nations what great things God had done. Their tears had become shouts of joy.

For the returning farmers, the ground had become hard and overgrown, which made their work exceptionally difficult and painful. They had to endure long days of hard work before they would receive a bountiful harvest. I love this analogy to the Christian life. Our choices produce consequences. And we will reap what we sow. God allows us to suffer and sow with tears to achieve His purpose.

In my life, I have experienced tears of sowing followed by a harvest of joy. Years ago, my wife and I walked through a dark period in our relationship. We experienced great pain and shed many tears. Thankfully, God restored our marriage through faith and a community of believers. Those years have led to shouts of joy as we have led several groups of people through re:generation and have ministered to other couples.

In James 1:2-4 we read, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

In the past, when I faced challenges and painful circumstances, I used to pray that my pain be taken away. My desire to have the pain removed is less significant the more I study the Bible and understand God’s character. Instead, I ask for wisdom and insight. I want to understand what God is trying to teach me. The more I know Him and turn to Him, the more I understand His ways.