The harvest is coming! So when you’re tired, ask God for the strength to carry on.
September 22, 2023
Galatians 6:9-10
There are at least two kinds of waiting. We wait passively at times—while we’re in the car, on the phone, or in a checkout line. But we also wait actively—for the weekend, for summer, for retirement. We typically continue our work as we wait for these times of leisure and refreshment.
These experiences color our understanding of the Old Testament’s refrain to “wait for the Lord” (in Psalm 131:3, for example). Through Zephaniah, God Himself tells Israel, “Wait for Me” (Zeph. 3:8). What kind of waiting is this?
At times it may seem passive, like standing in line. But generally, our waiting for God is the kind of waiting a gardener does. He plants seeds and keeps working as he waits for the harvest. Paul encourages the Galatians to do this—to keep working as they wait. “The harvest is coming,” he says, “so don’t allow weariness to discourage you from what you do.”
And the heart of this work, Paul says, is to live out the gospel’s promises where we are. “While we have opportunity,” Paul continues, “let’s do good to all people” (v. 10). Doing good comes naturally when we believe the gospel’s promises about the future. As we wait for the Lord’s return, let’s look for opportunities to be a blessing to others. And we can trust God will be faithful to bring a harvest “in due time” (v. 9).
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