Galatians 6:7-10: “ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
1 Thessalonians 5:24: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
2 Thessalonians 3:13: “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”
Are you a patient person? Does anyone like to wait?
If you are in a long, long line, do you have fun while waiting or is waiting troublesome for you? How do you feel when, after waiting for a long, long time, something disappointing happens? The Bible has a lot to say about waiting. Quite often, we have to wait a long time for something to happen. Also quite often, what we want to see happen doesn’t happen at all. I would like to talk about some points dealing with waiting and patience…
Point #1 – God doesn’t always call in his debts in October:
There is a story of an atheist who wrote to the editor of his town’s newspaper. This atheist was a farmer. In his letter, he told of how he planted his crops on Sunday, how he harvested those crops on Sunday, and how he took his harvested crops to the barn on Sunday. He told the newspaper editor that he was able to bring in a greater harvest that particular October than his Christian neighbors. The next week, his letter was in the newspaper. The editor had also responded to this Atheist Farmer. His words were simple and to-the-point: God doesn’t always call in his debts in October.
The bad news for anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ is this: Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: what a person does to please his or her flesh will bring forth a crop of terrible consequences later. We have a saying in the US: What goes around comes around. What that means is that sooner or later, whatever you do will come back.
This is especially so for anyone who is living to please himself or herself. Sin brings terrible consequences to a person, and many times those consequences show up much, much later in life. Take Smoking for example. The Bible says nothing about smoking specifically. But this verse in Galatians fits with smoking because people who smoke for years and years usually end up developing lung cancer. It is the same with any kind of sin. Sooner or later, the consequences of sin will catch up with a person.
Numbers 32.23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” If you don’t have Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, the consequences of living without him will come to pass.”
Point #2 – Good Things Come to Those Who Wait:
This is an old saying in the English speaking world. This saying means that if you are patient and wait, good things will come. This is especially so with doing the work of the LORD.
Galatians 6.9 says that we will reap if we stay at work. When you think of living for Jesus Christ, what do you think of? What kind of race is the Christian life? Is following Jesus like a sprint or is it more like a marathon? When you watch a long-distance race, how do the runners run? Do they go all-out, as fast as they can right away? Do they set a good pace, giving them good breathing and strength to finish?
In the same way, the Bible says when we live life following Jesus Christ, we need to run as if it is a marathon. And just as marathon and other long distance runners train daily in preparation for their races, we need to do the same thing. The training is long. The race is long. In the end, though, the reward and prize will be worth it.
Patience will pay off in the end. It is when we get impatient and try to go faster than God wants that we run into trouble. God promised Abraham and Sarah a son. Things were okay until they grew impatient, and Sarah gave Abraham her maidservant, Hagar. Though God blessed Ishmael, he was not the son of promise for Abraham and Sarah. Because of their impatience, we now have the fighting and strife in the Middle East between Arab and Jew. Remember that patience pays off in God’s eyes! When we go faster than he wants, or go in a different way, trouble will always come…
Point #3 – What If I Get Tired?
In any race there is always someone who gets very tired. Sometimes the racers in a marathon don’t finish. In the Annual New York Marathon, there are tens of thousands of runners who start the race. By the end of the New York Marathon, very few of the tens of thousands finish. In following Jesus, we too get tired. Our spirits get tired. Our bodies get tired. Our minds get tired.
We need to remember that when we are tired, Jesus Christ is with us. He wants us to put our worries, our fatigue, and our tired selves in his hands. Many people who follow Jesus try to follow him on their own. They try to follow Jesus but don’t give him the fatigue that naturally comes. The Bible says in Matthew 11 that we need to give our tiredness to Jesus. When we are tired, he will help us.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 says, “Be not weary in well-doing.” Galatians 6.9 says the same thing. How can we “be not weary?” We can only be strong through Jesus Christ.
Point #4 – The Enemy Also Runs Beside Us:
Just as Christ runs with us, so does the devil. The devil runs with us, though, for a far different reason that Jesus does: the devil runs beside us to discourage us, to cause fear, and to tempt us to quit. Have you ever had someone tell you, “You can’t do it!”? Have you ever told someone a dream or an idea, only to hear that person say “Nope, it can’t be done!”? This is what the devil does to us as we run the race and do the work that Jesus has set for us to do. He will slither up beside us and whisper discouragement in our ears.
He will bring storms and fears and tragedies to try to get us to slow down and even quit before the finish. We need to understand that the devil is limited in his power. There is no fight, no comparison between Jesus and the devil. When the enemy comes up and discourages us, we must remember to call out to Jesus and ask for his help.
Many of ancient Israel’s kings did just that when they went to battle against enemies who were stronger on the field. David, time and time again, asked God for his help when facing the enemies of Israel. Just as David and countless others called for and received God’s help against the devil, we can do the same. However, if you don’t have Jesus as your Savior; if he doesn’t live in your heart, you need to know that God will not help you in times of trouble.
Just as godly kings of Israel received God’s help, ungodly kings who did not have God in their hearts and did not live for him suffered terrible defeat. Anyone in here who does not have Jesus in his or her heart belongs to the devil. The devil can do as he pleases with a non-Christian because everyone who does not have Jesus is under the control of the devil. When a person receives Jesus into his or her heart and life as LORD and Savior, the devil loses that control.
Conclusion – Faithful Is He!
I Thessalonians 5.24 says this: “Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it.”
What is the “it” that God will do? That “it” is God’s will for whatever you are waiting and praying for. Are you praying for the Salvation of a loved one? Remember that God hears your prayers and he cares! Is there a sick friend or family member that you pray for day and night? Keep on praying! Are you working somewhere for the Lord and are not seeing any kind of results for His Kingdom? Stay at it and be encouraged!
Think of Abraham. Abraham was promised a son by way of Sarah. He and Sarah waited 25 years for a son. God kept his promise to them, and gave them Isaac. It is the same for us, too! We may have to wait a long, long time for the promise of God. You may pray for someone for years, and God may not move. I have been praying for a non-Christian friend for nine years.
I’ve been praying for this friend for a long time. He still hasn’t given his heart to Jesus Christ. After nine years, should I quit? Quitting is what the devil wants! Don’t quit, don’t give up! Keep doing what God wants you to do. Finally, if you don’t know Jesus as Savior, and you want his help in your race, remember he is waiting for you. He will help you in your race if you ask him for help.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, sometimes we get tired in the race. Sometimes as we run, as we walk, as we do the things you ask of us, we get tempted to quit. We pray, Lord Jesus, that you would help us in this race, in this work that you have called us to do. We may not see results Lord, but we know that you do. Bless each person this week. Please come near to those who are burdened and need a special boost of your Holy Spirit. Give us all a good, good week this week we pray, in Jesus name, Amen.