It’s been a particularly interesting week, and it’s only Wednesday. Here we are at the end of February, two months of this year have passed. Sometimes the idea of quitting, whatever it is that you’re doing, seems tempting.
Why not?
I was talking to the Lord about that very thing this morning. Do you want to know what He said?
“…those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:8-10 NLT
Don’t give up! Keep doing good – there’s a time of harvest coming.
I remember the days when we were farming alfalfa. Here in Arizona we got about 10 cuttings of alfalfa a year. That’s a lot of hay and all the baling needed to be done at night when the air was cooler and we had the right amount of moisture.
Toward the end of summer I would be so tired, I just wanted to get one full night’s sleep. Dave did too. But there was no time…there was the irrigating, swathing, raking, baling and repeat.
I found it very reassuring that the Lord knew about farming. “At just the right time we will reap a harvest”. So sure enough, we’d keep going and then we would see the harvest.
We learned to lean into God in our weariest of days.
“Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31 NLT
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
The Lord invites us to rest. In fact, He commands it. It is one of the Ten Commandments.
“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.” Leviticus 23:3 NLT
We’re more productive when we rest. We’re healthier when we rest. I’m going to circle back to Psalm 23. We have been looking at it all month and it’s an appropriate Scripture for today’s blog as well.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength…” Psalm 23:1-3 NLT
Maybe you feel like you’ve been in a battle or maybe it just seems like you’ve been farming night and day. The battle, or the work, might be physical, financial, relational and you need a rest. We all do.
Even Jesus would separate Himself from the crowds and the work of ministry to go to a solitary place and pray. He would find those green pastures in time spent with His Father in prayer.
Follow Jesus’ advice. Come to me all who are weary and find rest.
Come rest but don’t quit!
