Dwell in unity

 Psalm 133:1–3 (ESV):  

1  Behold, how good and pleasant it is 

when brothers dwell in unity! 

 2  It is like the precious oil on the head, 

running down on the beard, 

  on the beard of Aaron, 

running down on the collar of his robes! 

 3  It is like the dew of Hermon, 

which falls on the mountains of Zion! 

  For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, 

life forevermore. 

When families have a sense of togetherness, mutual love and support we see it as good, comforting, loving, strong and beautiful. A family who have shared faith and values have a connection beyond the biological, having unity in heart and mind, and a love and understanding of one another that you cannot be born with. This is the kind of bond God desires for all believers to have with one another.

God wants us as believers in Him to ‘dwell in unity’. Despite differences in; opinion, location, culture, preferences, looks or character. There is something stronger than all of these things that unifies you with other bothers and sisters across the world. You have a greater connection with them than shared biology, interests or experiences, for you share the blood of Jesus. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is common to all christians, this is the one powerful thing that unifies us. Unity is a powerful word. It is more than being joined together, or partnered in something for those words imply that you are still two separate entities connected together. Being unified is becoming whole, so you become one with other believers. You are one family with them through the love and blood of Jesus, in fact you are not whole without them. 

You can dwell in unity with other believers because you have been given new life through Jesus, you are born into a new kingdom along with them, which has new values. Elsewhere in the Bible we are told that we are adopted into God’s family. It takes some getting used to, your life and values will change to reflect God's kingdom over time, and one of the things that you will have to get used to is learning to live with, respect and get on with other christians - because they also have been adopted into God's family! You will be living together for all eternity, so whilst you are on Earth, you better get used to living a unified life with them! So be mindful of how you speak of other christians, how you think about them, and what you hope for them. Your mindset should be on promoting unity. Do you have appreciation, love, respect and honour for other believers? Even if there are differences, do you still see that Jesus has bonded you into the same family?

It is ‘good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity’. We all know what it is like when there is strife in a family, you may have personal experience of that. Dis-unity breeds anger, harsh words, distrust, dissent, pain, and sometimes physical violence. That is not the standard for God’s family. Therefore do not be drawn into arguments, or speaking against your brothers and sisters of faith. Respect them, love them, help them, guide them, get to know and understand them - this is how you build good and pleasant unity. You need to make an effort. Families that have a solid sense of togetherness usually have had to experience tough times and conversations in order for their unity to remain because unity is worth fighting for. When you don’t bother or ignore others, you create a distance. That is not unity, that is laziness and it will get awkward for you when one day you are in heaven with these people forever! 

It is good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity. It is like the anointing of Aaron. There is a visual, overflowing blessing that affects not just the head which is being anointed, but the face, beard and robes. The beauty of the people of God working together and appreciating one another pours out a blessing further than you expect, hope or imagine. Other people and places will be impacted by the love the church has for one another. It is also like the dew, it brings life and refreshment where it falls, even on arid places. The Lord ‘has commanded the blessing’ where His people live in togetherness. If you want to experience this blessing of God where you live and in your life, that He has spoken, what are you doing to promote and build unity amongst believers? 

Obedience in the Yes and the No

 Psalm 132:1–18 (ESV): 

1  Remember, O Lord, in David’s favour, 

all the hardships he endured, 

 2  how he swore to the Lord 

and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 

 3  “I will not enter my house 

or get into my bed, 

 4  I will not give sleep to my eyes 

or slumber to my eyelids, 

 5  until I find a place for the Lord, 

a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 

 6  Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; 

we found it in the fields of Jaar. 

 7  “Let us go to his dwelling place; 

let us worship at his footstool!” 

 8  Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, 

you and the ark of your might. 

 9  Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, 

and let your saints shout for joy. 

 10  For the sake of your servant David, 

do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 

 11  The Lord swore to David a sure oath 

from which he will not turn back: 

  “One of the sons of your body 

I will set on your throne. 

 12  If your sons keep my covenant 

and my testimonies that I shall teach them, 

  their sons also forever 

shall sit on your throne.” 

 13  For the Lord has chosen Zion; 

he has desired it for his dwelling place: 

 14  “This is my resting place forever; 

here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 

 15  I will abundantly bless her provisions; 

I will satisfy her poor with bread. 

 16  Her priests I will clothe with salvation, 

and her saints will shout for joy. 

 17  There I will make a horn to sprout for David; 

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 

 18  His enemies I will clothe with shame, 

but on him his crown will shine.”

God remembers His faithful servants, whether they be paupers, kings or anything inbetween. God remembers and watches with favour those who keep their promises to Him, like David did. God loves that kind of dedication, obedience and faithfulness, and He rewards it. God does not forget what He has said, what you have done, or your quiet, steadfast dedication to Him. It is you that forgets. 

David’s passion for God caused him to feel unsettled even though he had a beautiful mansion for a home. For he knew that in some place, unknown, God’s holy presence rested in the Ark of the Covenant. David’s desire was to bring the nation to worship God, how could this happen if the presence of God that went with the nation into exile and back, is lost? This is the reason David made such a promise in the first place. Once the Ark was discovered, there had to be a permanent abode for it that was fitting for the King of Kings. David, and his team started searching, and eventually, they found the right place. David’s passion for God desired that he and the whole nation would discover what living in the presence of God was like.  So, he made his oath not to sleep until The Lord had his dwelling place amongst the nation of Israel.

When you make a promise to God and are working to fulfill it, it isn't easy. There comes a point when you wonder why you began doing it, how long it will take, and if it will get any easier. I am sure David felt like that in his search for ‘a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob’. David was so dedicated to this task that he swore that he would have no sleep until he had achieved it (v4-5). That is a brave promise! When you make an oath to God, how can you fail to fulfill your word? How did David do it? It must have got difficult for him. He must have grown tired, disappointed and anxious about finding ‘a place for the Lord’. Yet he continued diligently to complete this mission. He didn't make do or give up, his love and dedication to God caused him ti succeed in his mission to serve God and the nation in this way. David would have become exhausted and despondent journeying and searching to provide the right place. Yet he did not give up, he continued his search diligently. He was faithful to his word to The Faithful One. Remember this dedication, and let it inspire you in how you follow God and keep your promises to Him. The passion can wane, the sense of calling wither away as the reality of the hardship sets in. I wonder how long David went without sleep before he achieved his aim. He kept going in his mission, he was dedicated and demonstrated how to put God first above personal comfort and desire. Do you do the same?

When the right location of the Ark was discovered, and the right spot for the temple to be built found, God spoke to David. He made a promise for the generations of his family to come, if they were to give their hearts to God as David had. David had proved his allegiance and devotion to God, and God chose to pronounce a blessing over him and his family. Isn't that a beautiful thing! Yet God also made clear to David, that although he had searched for the Ark of the Covenant, found it, and brought i to it's dwelling place, he would not be the one to build a permanent home for it. His son, Solomon would. After all of that effort, that dedication and discomfort that David went through, how do you imagine he felt hearing that? Disappointed, relieved, angry? However, despite his own personal emotional response, David honoured this instruction from God. He did not rush off and do it himself anyway although he was the one with the passion for the project. Instead, David humbly obeyed the instruction of The Lord. 

David understood that God ideas are better than his own, and that God should have a say in who, where and when the temple, his earthly dwelling place should be constructed. So, although David had sacrificed sleep and rest in his search for the location, it did not mean that he was the man to fulfill the rest of the mission. David had to lay aside his desire to see a house of God being built. David had the vision, the plans and collected the materials, but he stopped there because God said so. How obedient are you to God when He tells you to hand over responsibility or to stop doing something?

David shows beautiful obedience and submission to God. He was powerful and rich, he cold command armies, and builders, but God said no, so David obeyed. That takes a lot of strength and trust. David did not get to see the fulfilment of his work and investment into people or the kingdom of God. Yet he came to terms with it because He knew God is faithful and trustworthy, so he obeyed. David’s passion and humility led to a glorious temple being built in Jerusalem, where the nation of Israel could come to worship. David’s dedication permitted and invited others into God’s presence. Yet he never saw a stone be laid. Do you have that level of obedience to God? To live beyond yourself and your generation to build and prepare for the kingdom of God to come, for the people to come?

You can impact nations and places through the simple obedience to seeing through the things God has given you passion and permission for, and stopping there. What are you passionate about doing for The Lord? Submit your ideas and passions to Him, and trust Him even if His plans are different to yours. Then you will be blessed, and so will others for generations ot come. 

How to calm and quiet your soul

 Psalm 131:1–3 (ESV):  

1  O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; 

my eyes are not raised too high; 

  I do not occupy myself with things 

too great and too marvellous for me. 

 2  But I have calmed and quieted my soul, 

like a weaned child with its mother; 

like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

 3  O Israel, hope in the Lord 

from this time forth and forevermore. 

There is a time to look to the hills for your help, a time to rally, a time to mourn and be jubilant, and there is a time to quiet your soul. 

When there are times of great celebration, confusion or concern, it is good to ‘not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me’. Instead of worrying, trying to think things through or make sense of matters, the best thing is to to run to God as a small child would run to their Mum. When a child is distressed, confused or scared, they seek comfort in the presence of their mother. They often don’t even need to say anything. They just know that their emotions and soul are not ok, so they seek the stability and comfort of their parent. Knowing that being in their presence and resting in their bigness, capability and love is enough to settle them, They will get the calm and quiet that they need when they go to Mum. So, as a child of God, do you run to Him when you are dysregulated? Do you seek and sit in His presence? Knowing that He is big enough to handle all of your dysregulation, confusion, tears and panic? God can bring quiet and calm to your soul, as a Mum does for her child, are you letting Him? 

Unless you go to God and spend time with Him, remembering who He is, you will will not gain the calm and quiet that your soul desires. Spending time considering who God is, and who you are in His eyes stops your head from whirling with a million thoughts,  ideas and worries. You can just simply sit with Him. His presence is enough to cause the things that are 'too great and too marvellous' to stop seeming so incredible. You can spend time with God in a number of ways; reading The Word, listening to worship, praying, or just being still and appreciating whose presence you are in. Even without saying anything, God can still your heart and your soul, equipping you, comforting you and strengthening you. The psalmist learnt that they could run to God and sit with Him in this way. They must have been in a situation that seemed overwhelming, and so they considered themself like a small child, dependent upon it’s mother. The presence of the parent providing certainty, safety and security for their child. When an unexpected event happens that can cause a child to fear, the child instinctively looks to their parent. They watch their reaction, and base their response and level of safety on them. You can do the same with God. When you face an unexpected situation, and feel uncomfortable and afraid, look to your Father in Heaven. Where is He, and what is His response? Take strength, hope and peace in His steadfastness and presence, and your soul will be quieted. Like a child, you can trust in the actions and reactions of your Almighty Father. 

The writer of this psalm, David had learnt to ‘not occupy myself with things too great and marvellous for me’. That’s a big statement coming from the king of a nation! He had huge things to consider and mighty problems to solve and important relationships to serve. Yet he knew that there were things, whether to do with the nation or his everyday life that unsettled him. So, he learnt to go to God and be with Him. Just resting in God's presence and trusting that He had things figured out, and could keep David safe. For you, there will also be things in this life that will not make sense; people, situations, relationships, work problems, world issues - they are too big and incredible for you to fathom and they can bring a feeling of uncertainty and fear. David’s recommendation to you, is to not spend time trying to resolve these things in your mind or try to understand them, but spend time with God. God will be with you through it all and will bring you in close. He can only do that when you stop running about and fretting. So, look for, run to, and rest with your loving and steadfast Father. He will strengthen and guide you so that your soul can become quiet and calm. 

you have become the righteousness of God

 Psalm 130:1–8 (ESV):  

1  Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 

 2  O Lord, hear my voice! 

  Let your ears be attentive 

to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 

 3  If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, 

O Lord, who could stand? 

 4  But with you there is forgiveness, 

that you may be feared. 

 5  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, 

and in his word I hope; 

 6  my soul waits for the Lord 

more than watchmen for the morning, 

more than watchmen for the morning. 

 7  O Israel, hope in the Lord! 

For with the Lord there is steadfast love, 

and with him is plentiful redemption. 

 8  And he will redeem Israel 

from all his iniquities. 

Aren’t you grateful God does not keep an account of all of your wrongs?! For ‘who could stand’ if He did? 

Only Jesus has the right to stand before God if The Lord ‘should mark iniquities’. For Jesus is the only one, ever, to have never sinned. The only way that you or I can talk to, stand before and have relationship with God is because of Jesus. There would have been no hope for you without the sacrifice of Jesus life to atone for all the wrongs you have committed. So thank God for Jesus! You can now stand before God as if you had never sinned, as if you were indeed Jesus, because when you surrender your life to God and accept the love and sacrifice of Jesus, who put to death all sin, God sees Jesus. ‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21) You can know forgiveness and hope because you have ‘become the righteousness of God’ through Jesus - isn’t that incredible?!

God’s great kindness, love and sacrifice of being torn away from his only son, leads to your complete forgiveness. You may have times when you feel wretched, blemished, dirty or bad. Do not believe those feelings. Instead, learn to hope in God’s Word (v5). All throughout the Bible, God has been correcting, guiding, and forgiving people. He will forgive you too if you ask Him and trust in His son’s purity which wipes away all wrongdoing. You do not have to carry the load of sin or shame, you can say to yourself,  'with you there is forgiveness' so ‘in his word i hope’. Let God’s Word have more influence in your heart and mind than your own thoughts of who you are, so that your fears of not being good enough, of being bad or a perpetual sinner are put ot death as Jesus was. You can hope in God's Word, and you can know forgiveness.

To know this forgiveness and really accept it, this psalmist recognises it takes patience and commitment. For they write, ‘my soul waits for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word i hope’. You have to wait for the fullness of forgiveness to seep into your heart and mind. It is such great news that radically transforms you, that it takes time to change your perception of who you really are. In order to know the freedom of forgiveness wait for His hope to live in you as your mind is transformed to seeing who you are due to Jesus. 

When you have wronged someone and apologised, the relief of being forgiven by them and given another chance is huge. The power of the words that show you are forgiven break off pain and despair, and bring restoration, relief and joy. Now, think about this; you have offended and wronged God countless times, yet He still chooses to forgive you! You can still approach Him and say sorry, He is not fed up of hearing it. For the reality is when you accepted that Jesus died for all your sins, he died for ALL your sins, therefore you are forgiven. You are even righteous in God’s eyes, just like Jesus is!

 1 Peter 3:18 says; ‘For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit’. Your unrighteousness has been exchanged for righteousness. All that bad stuff that you see in you can be put to death - are you letting go of it? Jesus has already put it to death, and God doesn’t see it anymore, so why do you? You do not need to live carrying around sin and shame - it is not yours to carry - you gave it all to Jesus when you first trusted and believed him. You have the right and permission to live and believe that you are righteous! You can ‘hope in the Lord’ and know His ‘steadfast love’ and ‘plentiful redemption’. For you live in the days when God has redeemed all of mankind ‘from all his iniquities’ and you have 'become the righteousness of God'.

The Lord is righteous!

Psalm 129:1–8 (ESV):  

1  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— 

let Israel now say— 

 2  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, 

yet they have not prevailed against me. 

 3  The plowers plowed upon my back; 

they made long their furrows.” 

 4  The Lord is righteous; 

he has cut the cords of the wicked. 

 5  May all who hate Zion 

be put to shame and turned backward! 

 6  Let them be like the grass on the housetops, 

which withers before it grows up, 

 7  with which the reaper does not fill his hand 

nor the binder of sheaves his arms, 

 8  nor do those who pass by say, 

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you! 

We bless you in the name of the Lord!” 

It is not unusual for the people of God to suffer. Israel, even from the conception of the nation can rightly say, ‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth’. Israel has always had enemies. As the favoured people of God, ungodly people have railed against them. Consider all that this nation has gone through. They have wandered, been to war, exiled more than once, been ransacked, derided, and invaded. They have known what it is like to be; refugees and captives, winners and losers, in the favour, and displeasure of God. So they are right to say that through every generation, they have been greatly afflicted. Even to the point that, ‘the plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows’. What a piece of imagery of the pain and persecution that Israel have undergone. Even though they have experienced this level of intense suffering from the hands of enemies, Israel can say ‘they have not prevailed against me’. That is powerful. The whole nation of Israel can honestly say that they have been persecuted and experienced excruciating physical, spiritual and emotional pain, yet the enemy has never won. Why? Because ‘The Lord is righteous’! 

The people of God once only the people of Israel, now known as the church, will experience great suffering, pain and persecution. Nothing has changed, the people of God have ungodly enemies so they will suffer. Yet they can also say, although we have been greatly afflicted the enemy has not and will not prevail! Why? Because the Lord is still righteous! 

The survival of God’s people and their growth has very little to do with the people themselves. It has everything to do with the favour and righteousness of God. God will always do what is right and ‘he has cut the cords of the wicked’. Evil has no ultimate power as Jesus put sin to death, therefore ‘the cords of the wicked’ have been severed. There is an end to the pain and suffering for God’s people,  so you can carry the hope of the promise that all wickedness shall cease, because ‘The Lord is righteous’. He will make sure that good will reign. 

The evil that seeks to undo the people of God will wither like grass on the rooftop (v6). It has no real influence, power, or longevity, even when evil plows deep furrows into your back in an attempt to break you. The enemy is seeking to prevail, but He has already been cut off and is withering! The people of God throughout all history have been persecuted, yet the enemy has not yet prevailed! Instead, the church has spread far and wide and the gospel has been demonstrated and declared in many places across the globe. The people of God have increased, not decreased despite the plans of the wicked, why? Because ‘The Lord is righteous’!

Following God is good for you

 Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV):  

1  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, 

who walks in his ways! 

 2  You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; 

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 

 3  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine 

within your house; 

  your children will be like olive shoots 

around your table. 

 4  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed 

who fears the Lord. 

 5  The Lord bless you from Zion! 

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem 

all the days of your life! 

 6  May you see your children’s children! 

Peace be upon Israel! 

Following God is good for you. It naturally carries a blessing, just like an obedient child experiences the favour of their parents. Not that the child is preferred, but their good behaviour and character are appreciated, and so they know favour and blessing from their parents, rather than correction and discipline. The same goes for you in your relationship with God. If you walk in His ways and live in awe of Him, then you will be blessed.

Fearing God means living under His authority and being in reverence of Him. Doing so affects all parts of your life; work, marriage, relationships, values, goals, and the influence you have on future generations. Your relationships are affected because you are someone who fears God. This psalm tells how your wife will be ‘fruitful’ meaning that she will develop, grow and invest in others. Your children are like ‘olive shoots’ - they require tender care, but they have the potential to become strong, robust olive trees. This psalm just mentions two of the types of relationships you can have, and as you can see, there is a promise of blessing, growth and fruitfulness when you put God first. Following God is good for you, for those you live with, care about and invest in. 

‘You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands, you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you’. What a great assurance! As someone who lives God’s way, God gives you work to do, and it will go well. This does not promise that it will be easy, the word ‘labour’ implies putting in effort! Yet you can be assured that through your work, you will be provided for and 'it shall be well with you'. God has things for you to do, you have the privilege of working, whether for money or not. It could be home-based, voluntary, in the community, in business or industry, it doesn’t matter. God has provided work for you to do, have you ever considered that the opportunity to work is a gift from God? God has given you the chance to, 'eat the fruit of the labour of your hands'. He has created you to be useful, productive and provide for yourself. Following God in the way you work is good for you, because it leads to your provision, but it will also be good for those you work with and the organisation. For, if your workload is blessed, other people benefit, profits are made and good reputation is built. 

Yet, above all of this, the first thing that this psalm states is, ‘blessed is everyone who fears the Lord’. Regardless of your family situation or work situation, if you are someone who lives life following God, you are blessed! It doesn't always feel like it, but you have to remember that God is not looking at the immediate. Following God is good for you, now and long-term. You have the blessing of the freedom from sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and an eternal hope. As well as the internal security, peace, comfort and strength that comes from following God's ways. Obedience to God carries a blessing now and forever. Are you aware of the blessings in your life now, and for eternity?

Although following God is good for you, it is not easy, otherwise everyone would do it. You have to persevere, be willing to change and do the things you don't want to, plus you have to patiently wait for the blessing sometimes. Just like a child waiting for their birthday. The blessing will come, but you need to wait, and keep trusting that God will give you good things. He will bless you in your work, in your family, and through the generations. Keep following, trusting and believing in Him and His Word and wait for ‘blessed is everyone who fears the Lord’. How do you see that God has blessed you today?

Is God your co-worker?

 Psalm 127:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Unless the Lord builds the house, 

those who build it labour in vain. 

  Unless the Lord watches over the city, 

the watchman stays awake in vain. 

 2  It is in vain that you rise up early 

and go late to rest, 

  eating the bread of anxious toil; 

for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

 3  Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, 

the fruit of the womb a reward. 

 4  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior 

are the children of one’s youth. 

 5  Blessed is the man 

who fills his quiver with them! 

  He shall not be put to shame 

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

Whether you are building something, or watching over something or someone, you cannot do it well if you’re doing it without God! It doesn’t matter if you are building something big or small, or if you are watching over one person, a family, community, or a city, don’t do it without inviting God into the situation. Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, had discovered that doing life without God ‘it is in vain’. Through his considerations and research, he noticed that if you are working hard, trying to figure out problems and using your own capacity to complete the load, there is no satisfaction, rest or success because God is not involved. This does not mean that you should do nothing, this psalm isn’t about being idle. Solomon clearly expects there to be some kind of work for you to do. His insight is to get on with it WITH God. For God has given you tasks to get on with, people to care about and things to build, but not on your own. Your daily endeavours should be a co-partnership with The Lord God Almighty. Are you taking your load, and are you allowing God to take His?

Often people are stressed, overworked and anxious because they feel the weight of responsibility for whatever it is they are tasked with. They work hard to figure out solutions, wonder about progressing, how to fix or build things, and solve people’s problems. They rightly care about whatever it is they are doing for God has given them that opportunity. The problem is that people can forget that God was involved in providing this work, and the influence they have there, instead they think that it all depends on them. For those who are not yet believers in God, it is true that the workload is dependent on their capacity, kindness, strength and knowledge. They have to rely on their own abilities, for who else is there to help them? As a believer, you are not in the same position. You have a very capable, creative, understanding and powerful co-worker. The question is, are you using Him? Are you doing what you need to do with God, or working as hard as you can alone?

It is easy to slip into just getting on with it, using your own capabilities and capacity, only thinking to invite God in when it gets tough. If this is the case for you, Solomon is telling you that you are working ‘in vain’. You could have God’s help, strength and advice all of the time! Think about having God present and active in your workplace, home or community - can you imagine what would happen, the rapport between workmates, the breakthroughs in situations, the favour and success? Are you allowing this to happen, or are you getting in the way, by doing it all yourself?

Think about this; when you are relying on your own abilities, even if you have great capacity and skills, they are pretty small when compared to God. When you rely on your own strength and capacity, it is minuscule in comparison to the strength of the Lord. So you are going to suffer, and quite possibly make things worse, when you do not allow God room to participate with you. You can get up early and go to bed late in order to get things done, you can lose sleep, fret over situations and work as hard as you can, but for what?! It is in vain. When you do things by yourself, because you feel you can handle it, or you want to achieve something yourself, that is pride (vanity). You were never designed to work alone. Neglecting to work alongside God makes your life harder. It also isn’t very successful and leads to ‘anxious toil’ and sleeplessness (v2). You were designed to work alongside the Lord, not instead of Him. You are allowed to not worry and to rest. 

If what you are doing causes you stress and worry, like it does for everyone else, how are you any different to those who do not have God in their lives? Resting and working knowing that God is with you will help you avoid anxious toil, being overburdened and losing sleep. In whatever you have to do, you need to allow space for God to reveal Himself. If you are busy doing everything, how much are you allowing God to do? and how are you demonstrating your faith in Him? Remind yourself that God can do all things, you can’t. God gives you responsibility, work to do, and people to lead, but you do not have full authority or responsibility, He does. God desires that you share the load with Him, then you can rest and work well. With such a powerful co-worker, imagine what could happen.