Not becoming weary in well doing, resting and reaping in due season

Do you ever get tired, weary, discouraged? The breakthrough the Lord promised is long delayed, people you relied on fall away, others who name the name of Christ treat you with less than Christian values, you don’t get recognition for your hard work. It’s easy to get tired, weary and at times to ask yourself “What is the point?” Into this comes this morning’s verse “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). This verse is in the context of the much quoted (by me) Galatians 6:7, the verse  about reaping what we sow. Here Paul is speaking about the positive side of the equation, and essentially exhorting us not to loose heart. The principle of sowing and reaping is a spiritual law, and as with all such, cannot be broken. If we do not give up we will reap what we have sown.

The Christian life is said to be more like a marathon than a quick sprint. I am told that typically there comes a point in a marathon where, along with pain and fatigue, doubt starts creeping in. Why did you ever start? Is it really worth it? For me this is the point where I need to go back to the promises, the personal ones  whispered into my heart by Lord, and the principles and promises of the Word. I am not saying that this is necessarily the case in your situation, but I do know the activity of the Evil One tends to increase the nearer it gets to the time of reaping. Because of this, you have to wonder how many give up just before the breakthrough. Having said this, and I can't say this too strongly, unlike a marathon, it's not about striving. In particular, we need to operate out of rest!

The phrase “in due season” is interesting and significant. I have to admit, God’s timing is not my timing, but He always has a purpose in the delay. He may need to test what is in our heart before He can promote us. Of course He already knows our heart, but as we were saying last day, when we submit to the testing, it produces the character He needs us to have before He can promote, or come through for us. “In due season” also speaks to the rhythms of life. Even Jesus needed to come aside and rest (Matthew 14:13). God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2), not because He needed to, but perhaps to set us an example. We tend to ignore the fact that a Sabbath rest was one of the ten commandments. Coming aside for a while is not giving up,  in fact Jesus invites all who labour and are heavy laden to come to Him to find rest (Matthew 11:28,29). We may have been trying to force answers to our prayers, and we  may need to let go and let God!

Father, more than usual I am very much aware this morning that I am talking to myself. I need to not be weary in well doing, but I also need to know when to come aside and rest. And for me, it's not likely Sunday! Lord help me and all reading this blog to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in Your work (1 Corinthians 15:58), but still to operate out of rest. And Lord please restore the joy of our salvation this morning in Jesus Name Amen