“He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:6

All of us have “dry places” in our lives. Dreams that go unfulfilled or prayers that go unanswered can stretch into years of what feels like a barren desert season. When a place hasn’t seen rain in a long time, it can be hard to have hope.

I have these places in my life. Several months ago, in the middle of a tearful night, I opened my Bible to Psalm 126. Verse 4 caught my attention: “Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.” I sensed the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart, so I began to study the psalm more deeply.

When Your Story Feels Stuck

Have you ever looked at your life or some part of it and felt disappointed that you haven’t made more progress by now? I have felt that way, and what I found in this story spoke to that part of me.

Here’s what I learned…

Psalm 126 was written after the Israelites were miraculously restored to their land following 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed, and the people had lived under harsh rule for decades. God had promised that He would set them free and bring them back to their land. When He finally did, the psalmist says it felt like they were dreaming.

Yet by the time this psalm was written, the people had already been back in the land for at least sixteen years. They had laid the foundation of the temple, but progress stalled because of opposition and limited resources. The temple still lay in ruins. Even working the land was difficult. They were home, but not restored. I imagine they felt discouraged, stuck, and unsure how God’s promise would ever be fully completed.

Hope for Hard Places

It’s in this context that the psalmist prays, “Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.” The “south” refers to the Negev, an extremely dry desert region in southern Israel. The Negev is filled with dry riverbeds called wadis. Most of the year they are completely empty. But when sudden seasonal rains fall in the higher elevations, flash floods rush down and fill the wadis until rivers are flowing through the desert. The transformation is instantaneous and dramatic.

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights… I will turn the desert into pools of water.” — Isaiah 41:17–18

This is the picture the psalmist had in mind: God’s sudden, supernatural intervention to change a story that seemed stuck and to rebuild dreams that lie in ruins. He knew the promises throughout Scripture that God can turn barren places into flowing rivers.

“The poor and needy search for water,
    but there is none;
    their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
    I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
¹⁸ I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
    and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
    and the parched ground into springs.

Isaiah 41:17-18

What is your impossible place?

I believe we all have wadis in our lives — areas that will only change through God’s miraculous rain.

Maybe it’s a dream deferred for so long that you can’t imagine it ever happening. Maybe it’s an illness that persists despite years of prayer. A relationship that never seems to shift. A family member on a destructive path you’ve prayed for again and again.

Whatever your wadi is, the God who brings streams in the desert is telling you that you can still believe Him for the impossible.

What is our part?

We can’t make the rain come. We can’t decide when or how God will intervene. But Psalm 126 gives us insight into how we can partner with God while we wait.

“He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, brining his sheaves with him.”

Psalm 126:6

We partner with God by sowing seed even while we’re still weeping.

We stay faithful even when nothing looks like it’s growing.

We keep planting in hope even when it feels hard, trusting that when God sends His rain, the harvest will be abundant.

Here are a few practical ways to sow seed in dry seasons:

Be faithful to do your best where you are.

Your current job or role may not be your dream, but it is where God has placed you for now. I work in the medical field as a language interpreter. It’s not where I ultimately want to be, and I’ve had seasons of discouragement about how long I’ve been there. But I find joy when I look for opportunities to minister to others and release God’s presence right where I am. When I am paying attention, He opens up some amazing doors.

Use your gifts to serve in small, consistent ways.

Invest your gifts however you can. This might mean writing regularly on Substack, teaching a Bible study, or serving at a food pantry. Small acts of faithfulness plant real seed.

Stop for the one.

My missionary mentor in Africa taught me this phrase. It means to take time to faithfully minister to the person in front of you. Maybe that’s your family, a friend, or a coworker. I’m convinced God wants to touch many people through us on the way to our breakthrough.

Consider how a garden grows.

Planting a garden takes work — preparing soil, planting seeds, tending the ground. Growth seems slow until a series of rainy days comes, and suddenly everything springs up. The more seed we plant while waiting for God’s rain, the greater the harvest we will see when it comes.

God is still the One who brings streams in the desert. And as you sow faithfully — even with tears — you will come again with rejoicing, carrying sheaves of blessing in your arms.

For a powerful visual, watch this video.

Put it into Practice:

Here are some questions for you to sit with:

What are the wadis in my life? Where have I grown weary of believing for change? Journal about it and talk to God.

Read through the promises in Scripture that speak to God’s ability to transform dry places. (Isaiah 41:17–18; Isaiah 43:19; Isaiah 35:6–7; Psalm 107:35–37 are a few) Let these promises wash over you and bring hope.

How can I partner with God in my present situation? What does sowing seed look like for me right now?

If you’re longing for clarity or support in a dry season, spiritual coaching can help you find direction. I have spots opening this fall and would love to offer you a free session to try it out. More information is below.