Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I have always thought of this verse in terms of getting worn out by heavy work, but the Japanese is very clear that it’s on the lines of, “I’m tired of all that mess.” That brings it closer to home, because we don’t often have physical labor in our doing good, but it can really get old at times. The devil throws thoughts into our mind like, “Why am I doing this? It’s not accomplishing anything.” Paul is saying here that’s a lie, and if we’re doing good in obedience to God, then it is the blackest of lies. As is true in so many areas of life, it’s a matter of perspective. We don’t see down the road, where God is using the echoes of what we do to accomplish His purposes. What Paul is saying is that faithfulness has a good result, whether we see it in this life or not. I’m reminded yet again of a line in Hebrews: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) That’s why another line from Paul is so vitally important: “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) We don’t know what God is going to accomplish with what we are doing, so we need to trust Him enough to keep doing it until He tells us to do something else.

This is certainly pertinent to me! Yesterday I had my last classes at Nagasaki Rehabilitation College. I still have to give exams, but this closes out 42 years of teaching there. The faculty and staff gathered to give me a bouquet of flowers and a framed print of a group picture they took last week, and the person leading the assembly asked all my former students to raise their hands – over half the faculty! I cannot know the impact I have had on my literally thousands of students, but God does, and He placed me in that school for His purposes. Likewise, this church will celebrate 40 years in May, and I really don’t know all that God has done through me here, either. I can only seek to listen to Him day by day and trust that He will indeed use me. I have been praying for harvest this whole time, but have seen only a small fraction of what I have desired. The passage I quoted from Hebrews really resonates with me! However, I’ve got to leave it all in God’s hands and trust that His plans are always good, for me and for everyone with whom I interact – even when I don’t know I’m interacting with them! Someone is coming this month to be baptized by me, having come to faith far from here but attributing it to his interaction with me about 20 years ago. I literally have no idea what God has already done through me, much less what He is yet going to do through me, so I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, trusting Him with the harvest.

Father, thank You for this encouraging reminder. Help me indeed continue in faithfulness, never taking anything for granted but always pressing in for more of You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!