Those were the days, my friend; we thought they'd never end. We'd sing and dance forever and a day… The 1968 hit song by Mary Hopkin is a nostalgic and wistful folk ballad about memories of youth, dreams, and the passage of time. Most of us can also look back on happier seasons—playing as children, college adventures, falling in love, building a family, or simply enjoying a sunny beach vacation. A similar theme echoes through the opening scene of Psalm 126: their mouths were filled with laughter and their hearts with joy. Life was so good for God’s people, it felt like a dream come true. Some believe this psalm describes Judah’s return from Babylonian captivity, when they were restored to their homeland. However, the specific context is not stated. There are many ways the LORD may have “restored the fortunes of Zion.” Whether they had been delivered from captivity, siege, famine, or plague, it was clearly a miraculous event—one that was widely spoken of. The feelings of overwhelming joy and relief lingered vividly in the national memory (v 1-3). As followers of Jesus, we may fondly recall former years when our walk with Him felt more vibrant and full of joy. Unfortunately, on this side of heaven, seasons of exceptional happiness cannot last forever. Life is always a mixture of joy and sorrow, celebration and struggle. In the second stanza of the psalm, it’s clear that the singing and dancing have ended. The earlier days of delight have given way to dark discouragement and hard, demanding work. But for the psalmist, memories of past joy were not just empty nostalgia—lost forever with no hope of return. Instead, those memories became the foundation for a strong hope of even better days to come. This wasn’t mere wishful thinking, but a confident trust in the LORD. He had done great things before, and He is unchanging in both His greatness and His goodness. So the prayer is lifted to heaven: “Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!” This is a picture of spiritual revival. The Negeb is a parched and barren desert, but when a sudden downpour comes, it is dramatically transformed—bursting with grass and flowers almost overnight (v 4). The other image points to a slower path to renewal. Those who “sow in tears” don’t see immediate fruit from their labor. But God knows our suffering, hears our prayers, and provides the harvest. One day, He will wipe away our tears and replace them with a joy beyond words—a joy that will last forever (v 5-6). For further meditation: