Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. James 5:7
Between your “now” and “when” is just “a little while.” What seems long now will seem a heartbeat then. Let five words become the banner-waving answer to all that is ultimately worth waiting for: When Jesus Christ is revealed. – Beth Moore
Waiting in general is a hard thing for us humans and in some situations waiting can almost be unbearable. We have become an instant society to the point that we have minimum waiting periods for most things. When we do have to wait, it feels so much worse. We are used to getting what we want, when we want it. But, patience is a virtue and one of the fruits of the spirit so clearly God wants us to pursue patience. In the scripture above, James tells us to be patient and uses farming as an illustration. The process of cultivating, planting, watering, and harvesting applies to our life of patience. And just as the process of farming takes time, so the fruit of patience takes time. All farmers must submit to the process. To fight against it and insist they must have fruit in the middle of the process is futile. To ask God for patience that then deny the process is futile. Patience is not granted on the basis of our demands.
As we submit to God's process we will inevitably undergo stressful times when it appears the rains will never come. God asks that we wait in positive confidence that the process will take place and the fruit of patience will be ours. As God works His process, our hearts are to be established (inner firmness) with an attitude of prayer (prayer takes patience!), confident that God's hand is upon us. It is so much easier said than done but the only way to have peace in the in-between times.
Waiting on God and His process is worth it and when the time comes, He will be revealed. When He is revealed, when we can see Him in the process, that is ultimately worth waiting for. When we become impatient and try to rush through the process or try to process it on our own is when we get in trouble. Patient endurance will keep us from giving in to the world and running ahead of God and His timing. We are called to faithfully trust God and allow His process to be accomplished in our lives.
Scripture to Claim:
You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:8
You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:8
