The story is told of a Swedish miner who purchased an expensive claim in a certain region known for its mother-lode of gold. He then spent the next three years working hard to strike it rich in that claim. In the end, though, the claim produced nothing and he sold it for $10,000, which at the time was a fine sum of money for a useless shaft.

The miner was still celebrating the sale when the shaft’s new owner excitedly came racing into camp. He had dug and blasted just six feet and had hit a vein of gold that was incredibly rich. When the Swedish miner heard the news, he said, “I will never sell another claim until I dig just six feet farther!”

Did this story really happen? Well, it’s supposedly true, but I do realize that such stories are a-dime-a-dozen. Still, regardless of whether the story is historical or fictional, it certainly makes an excellent point. That point is: Some people quit on a worthy task just before the blessing unfolds.

Galatians 6:9 is one of my favorite verses. It says:

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (N.K.J.V.)

If we think of God and Satan as each being employers who reward their workers with pay, we might say that Satan pays at the end of the day. (Actually, it seems as though he pays immediately following each sinful act.) God, on the other hand, pays at the end of the month. (Sometimes it seems as though He waits till the end of the year!) What we must never forget, though, is that God’s rewards are lasting while Satan’s are fleeting. Satan’s pay can provide momentary fleshly pleasure, but God’s pay will provide eternal joy. That’s the difference.

Perhaps you are reading this and you are just about ready to throw in the towel on a God-approved assignment. How easy it is to grow weary in doing good when God’s expected harvest is delayed. All I can say is that God always rewards the doing of good. Yes, that reward might take a while to reach you, but it surely is on the way. That’s why you should keep on digging until you experience it. Seriously, it could be a matter of you digging just a few more feet farther.