Stuck

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.– Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

Faithfulness is rarely glamorous – it’s mundane, routine, ordinary. Constant, persistent, and unremitting, faithfulness is loyalty in action. It requires energy and focus, commitment and resolve and it is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, faithfulness feels like quicksand – gritty, thick heaviness that saps and pulls, making forward movement tedious and the destination a seemingly impossible dream. And it is there, in the mire of weariness, that we often become disillusioned and disoriented, fatigued and apathetic.

I’m stuck in that sludge. I lift my legs, try to move, only to realize that the force of my own energy is being used against me to suck me further down. It seems as though I’m working against myself, wasting the precious little I have left on deeds that go unnoticed, unappreciated. I’m waist-deep in the mud of tired and it feels like He doesn’t see. I lift my arms, wave, scream out, but my voice is gone, my arms noodle-limp; I bow my head in shame.

And just when I think I’m going down, another victim of this weary-in-well-doing slough, He throws out His word – the great rope of hope – and lassos me onto dry ground. Don’t lose heart, He says, your work is not in vain. You will reap at the appointed time.

That’s His promise to us –that if we keep doing good – His work – even when it seems like no one cares, even when we’re tired, even when we want to let go, even when others take our sacrifice for granted or mock our attempts, we will have our due season. Something that is due is expected to arrive imminently; is payable at once and on demand at a stipulated time; has met all the necessary requirements; and is owed a debt because of a right or an obligation. God’s word does not return void; what He says He will do. He cannot lie and is bound to His promise.

But we must do our part. There is no due season without our work. We cannot reap that which we have not sown. God is faithful. He knows, He sees, He cares. Others may forget or take for granted, but God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek – pursue, strive for Him.

Take heart today. Don’t be discouraged. We can rest on His promise. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.