James 5:7 (ESV)
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
Farmers understand the need for patience. “See how the
farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the
autumn and spring rains,” says James. Arnold Glasgow must have been thinking
similarly when he wrote about the importance of patience: “You get the chicken
by hatching the egg, not by smashing it open.” In other words, as a familiar
proverb puts it, “Good things come to those who wait”!
James was writing to believers who were being mistreated by
people who were rich. By urging his readers to be patient, James wasn’t simply
instructing them to be resigned to their difficult situation. Instead, he was
reminding them that “the Lord’s coming is near,” and that when Christ returns,
he will serve as the just Judge.
When Christ comes back from heaven, “with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God”, he will set all wrongs right. Jesus is coming
to give strength to the weak and to judge those whom the world considers
strong.
Be patient then, James is saying, until the Lord’s coming,
when the heavens and the earth will be made new and the Lord himself comes to
live with us. It’s because we view life through the lens of eternity that we
can be “thankful when things go well” and “patient when things go against us”.
Dear Lord, thank You that You are establishing a kingdom
where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain; Help us to
persevere patiently in that hope. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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