The Pressure of Doing Right
From Sunday Morning
by on January 31, 2016
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9, KJV).
Saul was the first king of Israel. He was a good king, adored by the people, and a man that was obedient to the Word of God. However, there came a time in his life when the enemy started to come in and the people began to pressure him to do something. Saul allowed pride to take root in his heart, and he made a decision to take charge instead of being obedient to God (I Samuel 13:5–14).
Saul made an offering to the Lord, which wasn’t a task that the king was ever allowed to do—he was to wait for the prophet Samuel. Samuel arrived on the scene seconds after Saul had finished offering a sacrifice to the Lord. We can learn a grave lesson as how not to succumb to pressure.
There is a pressure that comes with righteousness and doing right. There are elements that will begin building in our mind and our spirit that will try to get us to stop moving forward in God; elements that will try to get us to choose the opposite path. But, God tells us not to give up! There is a new season coming!
When we make the decision to live for God, the devil, the world, and our flesh will war against us. Satan is our main adversary (I Peter 5:8); he will continue to attack us because he doesn’t want us to live for God, nor does he want us to become what we will in the power and authority of the Lord. The devil is truly scared that we won’t quit living for God! We need to remember there is a greater power in us working against the forces of darkness (I John 4:4).
Jesus told His disciples not to be surprised if the world hates them because the world hated Him (John 15:18). We have been called out to walk with God in His marvelous light, and we will live a way that the world will not understand. We should be cautious of even our own minds; we can be our greatest enemy. Our flesh will come against us as well—we must keep ourselves subject to the law of God (Romans 8:7). The only way we can overcome our flesh is the Holy Ghost working in our lives.
When we are faced with the pressure of the devil, the world, and our flesh, it is easier for us to give in and disconnect. But, not everything that is easy is truly right. We don’t have to strain to sin; it’s easy to come up short. Now is the time that we awake out of sleep, keep fighting the good fight because our salvation is near (Romans 13:11)!
Satan knows a powerful tool against the Saint of God is isolation. Scripture tells us that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). Lions only attack on the outskirts of the flock, not in the middle! If we stay planted and firmly set in the church, Satan won’t be able to drag us out and overcome us.
We forget the importance of rest and prayer in our walk with God. Part of the 10 Commandments given to Israel in the Old Testament was to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). Our rest today is in the Holy Ghost (Isaiah 28:11–12), and we can channel the rest through the Spirit in prayer. We need to clear everything out of our lives and run to God and keep up our prayer life and receive the rest through His presence. When we become weary, we shouldn’t step away from the church or the ministry! We need to depend on God for strength and He will provide it (Psalms 55:22).
Our key Scripture in Galatians 6:9 instructs us not to be weary in well doing. We need to continue to press on and do that which is right. There is a season coming where we will be able to sow what we’ve reaped. God will always show up right on time—He will provide the answer; He will provide the blessing; He will provide our every need if we just wait on Him!
Jesus told us to cast our every care upon Him because His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28–30). God is looking for someone today who wants to pursue after Him; someone who will keep doing right even in the face of pressure. If we learn to trust and lean on Him and keep doing right, we will see a great harvest of blessing in due season.
