Verse 3 is a vivid description of personal suffering: “The plowers plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows.” ... Why would the Psalmist use plowing as a picture of personal suffering?

For one thing, he felt as if people were treating him like dirt. ... If we live for Jesus, we can expect people to treat us the way they treated Him. They treated Him like dirt.

The central truth in this picture is that plowing is presentation for a harvest. When people are treating you like dirt, when the plows of criticism and accusation dig in your back, remember: God is preparing you for a harvest. What kind of a harvest? Depends on the kind of seed you plant. If you plant seeds of revenge and hatred, the harvest will be bitter. But if you plant the seed of the Word of God, letting love and peace and patience reign in your heart, you can say with the psalmist that the Lord is righteous—He will resolve this problem. Then the harvest will be one of blessing, as in verse 8: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord!”

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If you want a harvest in your life, you must plow, plant and water. When people treat you like dirt, when the trials of life go right through your life like a plow, get ready for the harvest. God has a harvest of blessing for you today, so remember to plant the right seed.