James 5:7-8

“Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” vs. 7

Early believers had a strong conviction that the Lord Jesus would be coming again, and many thought that his return was imminent. James and Paul, not necessarily always on the same track theologically, but recognized leaders in the Church, did their best to encourage people to be patient. They never said, “Forget about it, he’s not coming,” but they did tell their congregations to be patient. James here describes the patience of farmers in waiting for the rains, and says plainly that this is what believers needed to do. It’s not likely that many of us are looking for Jesus’ imminent return in the same way as in the first century, but we are still finding that patience is a virtue for believers. There are times that we would like very much for something to happen, and sometimes we’re even confident that it will happen, but waiting is agonizing. Occasionally we might even feel like we’ll be dead before God acts and our prayers are answered. Paul and James each advised believers to just get on with their lives, and not worry about what was coming next. There is some wisdom in those words! Often we discover that those things we’ve been yearning for come when we least expect it, and at the very time that we need them most!

Thought for the Day: What am I waiting for?