Journal Entry ~ 01/05/18

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. - Galatians 6:9-10

The true encouragement in this verse comes from the second part of verse 9 - for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  If we continue to do those things He has called us to do, we will reap the benefit in due time. If we continue to read scripture daily and work to apply it to our lives, if we continue to pray for His will for us and the people in our lives, if we continue to serve Him with the gifts He has given us, He will respond. We will see the benefits of our staying under His will if we keep at it. The blessings will be abundant - we are promised that. 

The problem is many of us grow weary of continuing to do His “good” because we don’t see the impact of our choices right away. Perhaps there is someone in your life that you’ve been praying to be saved, or perhaps you love a believer who is trapped in sin and you’ve been praying for eyes to see, but nothing is happening yet. Maybe your long-standing prayer is for a spouse, or a child, financial stability, health issues, healing of a broken heart or a broken relationship. Don’t give up - don’t grow weary. Keep pressing on, my friend. Trust that when it is time, you will see the change you long to see. He will make it happen. He promises. 

The analogy in this passage is agricultural - in the verses prior to this one, we see Paul mention sowing seeds and reaping the harvest. It’s a great analogy to hang on to when we’re struggling to see an answer to a prayer we hold dear to our hearts. Our impatient hearts want to see things happen on our timetable, we want our prayers answered immediately. We have a tendency to think if we just say the right words or do the right things, then God will answer our prayers. It doesn't happen that way.  

Farmers do not plant seeds and see the harvest immediately - they don’t even see the harvest in the next couple of days or weeks. It can take months to see the harvest - for some crops, it can even take years. This is the season we are to plant - right now, our only focus should be on planting the seeds, laying the groundwork, covering the person or the situation in prayer, tending to our seeds and waiting patiently, as a farmer would. The farmer does not stand over his planted seeds and give up on the harvest when he doesn’t see the sprout immediately. He knows that the seeds are in the ground, and in due time he will sees the sprouts if he is patient. He also knows he needs to tend the soil with nourishment while he is waiting. We need the same reminder - we can’t just plant the seed and walk away. We need to tend to the situation with gentleness and loving kindness, nourishing the planted seeds. The farmer trusts that in due season, He will see the seeds sprout, and in another, he will reap the harvest. We can know and trust that we will see the harvest in our lives.  Our prayers will be answered if they are in line with God’s will - we can know that to be sure. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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