Galatians 6:9(NIV84) “Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”

– “Do not become weary” or “grow weary” – The Greek word is enkakeo – it means to “lose enthusiasm; to be discouraged; to grow weary; to lose heart”

We all get there, we lose momentum, we lose enthusiasm.  The word “become” or “grow” insinuates that this is not something we slip and fall into, or out of, but it grows, it develops over time.  Sometimes it feels like it came out of nowhere, but it most likely has been something that started with a seed, a kernal, and then something else and something else, and then … here it is, weary.

There other day, “all of a sudden” I had a couple of muscles in my chest and back that were killing me.  I thought “how in the world am I sore, I haven’t done anything”.  But then as I thought back through it there were a couple of incidents that had contributed to the tweak in my back and chest.  I didn’t realize it.

We have had some success, God has been moving, all seems normal and then all of a sudden, I’m just weary, feeling out of sorts, what’s going on?

I need to ask a few questions, where did the weariness come from?

1) Has someone planted it in me?  Has someone spoken negativity into my life?

2) Did I plant it myself?

3) Did someone else plant it, but I nurtured it?

It’s a process, and I have to go back and identify what is going on and then realize that We wrestle not against flesh and blood.  Satan is in this, he is working to discourage me and bring me down.

I have to recognize the areas that have been broken up to prepare for planting weariness and I need to not allow the soil to be prepared.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV84)

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I can’t dwell on the things that make me weary, let my enthusiasm wain.

I need to renew my strength … How does that happen?

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV84)

³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Those who hope / wait – the word comes from a root that means to twist or wind.  It is like a thief “laying in wait” or a farmer “waiting” for the harvest.  It means to “set your heart” to wind your intentions around The Lord.  Those who so set their hopes on the Lord, who wind themselves around his will, his purposes, will renew their strength.

What are you wrapped around?

– “For at the proper time” – “time” – kairos = season, occasion – “proper” – idio = peculiar or one’s own … Where are we going?  This means that our harvest is coming – but it is coming at a season, a time, that is unique, peculiar, my time.  Like an idiosyncrasy is a quirk, so the proper time, is the season for ME.  A season, unique to me is coming, if I will trust God for the proper time for renewal, success, recognition, rest – Wait for YOUR Time.  Don’t be frustrated because someone else had their time, that’s theirs, wait for the Lord and your time.

– “we will reap a harvest” – REAP — I think we forget sometimes that harvesting means WORK too.  There is work in the planting, and work to be done in the nurture, and there is work in the harvest, we have to REAP.  Which reminds us too that it has to be the right season.  If you reap during the summer, you won’t have anything good.  So you have to know the season.  if you don’t know ask, do the necessary, seasonal time.

But Harvest IS coming

Do you know the “Rules of the Harvest?”

1) you reap WHAT you sow 2) you reap LATER than you sow and 3) you reap MORE than you sow.  Those are the 3 rules of the harvest I have always heard, but can I add one?  4) You reap WHEN you do the WORK of REAPING.

So, Paul says

– “Do not Give Up” – keep working, keep doing the last thing that God gave you to do.  Work the Harvest when that time comes.  The word “give up” is eklyo = to unloose – There it is AGAIN … we lose our strength, become weary, when we become LOOSENED from the Lord.  Keep your hope set on the Lord.  Wrap your mind, your intentions, you purposes around the Lord.

My boys often heard me quote Ecclesiastes 7:8 “the End of a matter is better than its beginning, patience better than pride” – Don’t unwind yourselves … stay focused on the end.  Don’t just be a starter, be a finisher?  How FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS – the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our Faith …

Then verse 9 of Ecclesiastes 7 says “do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” … when you unwind from the Lord, and sit down instead of keeping at the work, it’s amazing how anger creeps in, angry with circumstance, angry with the success of others, and it is Fertile Ground for Weariness and giving up …

So, Want to “Clear your lap?”

GET UP

Get Back to Work

Continue What he Last Told you

Reap when it is Time …