Don’t Quit Before the Harvest

08/11/2026

There are things in life that are easy to start and hard to keep doing. We begin with energy, hope, and a sense that God is leading us. But then time passes. The results don’t come as quickly as we expected. Nobody seems to notice. And somewhere between planting and harvesting, we start wondering, Is any of this really making a difference? Paul speaks directly to that tired place in us.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
- Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

I love that Paul doesn’t say, “Don’t feel weary.”

He says, “Let us not grow weary of doing good.”

There’s a difference.

You can be tired and still be faithful. You can be discouraged and still be obedient. You can wonder when something is finally going to change and still get up tomorrow morning and do what God has put in front of you.

Sometimes I think we assume that if God is in something, it should get easier. But Scripture doesn’t promise that. In fact, some of the things most worth doing require us to keep going when we can’t yet see the results.

Think about a farmer. There is a long stretch of time when the ground doesn’t look very impressive. He has worked the soil. He has planted the seed. He has done what he knows to do. And then…dirt.

He doesn’t walk outside three days later, see bare ground, and say, “Well, apparently that didn’t work.”

He understands something we sometimes forget:

Growth can be happening before anything is showing.

That may be exactly where somebody is today.

You’ve been praying for someone you love, but you haven’t seen the change.

You’ve been trying to repair a relationship, but it still feels strained.

You’ve been serving faithfully, but you wonder if anybody even notices.

You’ve been trying to make better decisions with your money, your time, your habits, or your words, and progress feels painfully slow.

You’ve been doing the right thing, and if you’re being truthful, you’re tired of doing the right thing without seeing the right results.

Paul says, don’t quit.

Not because perseverance guarantees that everything will turn out exactly the way we want. This isn’t a promise that if we work hard enough, God owes us the outcome we have pictured.

The promise is that faithfulness in the hands of God is never wasted.

And notice those words: “in due season.”

That means there is a timing involved that belongs to God, not us.

We like planting on Monday and harvesting on Tuesday. God often does some of His deepest work in the space between the two.

That waiting period can expose our motives. It can deepen our trust. It can teach us to obey God because He is worthy of our obedience, not simply because obedience produced an immediate reward.

Earlier in this chapter, Paul explains the principle behind it:

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” — Galatians 6:7 (ESV)

Seeds matter.

Every act of kindness is a seed.

Every prayer is a seed.

Every time you forgive instead of becoming bitter, you’re planting something.

Every time you choose integrity when nobody would know the difference, you’re planting something.

Every time you serve someone who can’t repay you, encourage somebody who is struggling, give generously, speak truth with love, or quietly obey what God has asked you to do—you’re planting.

And here’s the difficult part:

You don’t get to dig the seed up every few days to see if it’s working.

Some things have to stay buried for a while before they break through the ground.

That’s where faith comes in.

We tend to measure whether something is worthwhile by visible results. God measures faithfulness differently. Sometimes the harvest you’re praying for is already beginning in places you cannot see.

There’s another phrase in this verse we shouldn’t rush past:

“if we do not give up.”

That tells me quitting is a real temptation.

Paul knew there would be days when continuing would cost something. Days when doing good wouldn’t feel rewarding. Days when obedience wouldn’t get applause. Days when the easier choice would be to say, I’ve done enough.

Maybe today isn’t the day you need a new plan.

Maybe you don’t need another strategy.

Maybe today God is simply saying:

Keep planting.

Keep praying.

Keep loving.

Keep serving.

Keep forgiving.

Keep showing up.

Keep doing what is right even when doing what is right feels like it isn’t working.

You may be much closer to the harvest than you realize.

Don’t quit in the field where God has been growing something.

Action Steps

* Identify where you’re tired. Ask yourself honestly, “Where have I been tempted to give up because I haven’t seen results yet?”
* Plant one more seed today. Make the phone call. Encourage the person. Pray the prayer again. Serve someone. Do the next faithful thing God has put in front of you.
* Release the timetable. Tell God, “I will be responsible for obedience. I’ll trust You with the outcome and the timing.”

Challenge for the Day

Do one good thing today that you’ve been tempted to stop doing simply because you haven’t seen the results yet. Plant another seed and trust God with the harvest.

Prayer

Father, You know where I’m tired. You know the places where I’ve prayed, worked, served, and waited and wondered if any of it is making a difference. Give me strength to remain faithful when I cannot yet see the harvest. Help me not to measure Your work only by what I can see today. Show me the next good thing You want me to do, and give me the courage to keep planting. I’ll trust You with the timing, the growth, and the harvest. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Jeff

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