7 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. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8 (NKJV)
Waiting is not an activity that most people enjoy. In our contemporary culture, we value instant results and instant satisfaction. Sadly, this desire for instantaneous responses is directed at God. While we read the truth in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God “has made everything beautiful in His time” – as human beings, we want God to work according to our schedule. But our gracious God urges us to be patient – to wait upon Him and His time. Dozens of times, the Word of God exhorts us to “wait,” “be patient,” “be still,” or other phrases that are meant to cause us to adjust our timeline to God’s – instead of expecting God to adjust to ours. One example of this is found in the Epistle of James. In the fifth chapter, we read a call to be patient.
The word patient (in Greek, makrothumeó) expresses this idea wonderfully. It is a word that carries with it the ideas of longsuffering, perseverance, and forbearance. But one of the key ideas within the word is that this is waiting that is “divinely-directed”. As believers, each step we take should be divinely-directed. And so should each attitude, each thought, and each desire. This type of patience is only possible when we trust God – when we place our confidence in Him. In fact, we see this in James 5. The idea of being patient is connected with “[establishing] your heart”. Establish (in Greek, stérizó) means to “fix firmly”, and it speaks of being determined.
The culture in which we live has taken many steps away from Biblical teachings. It has promoted many things that are starkly contrary to those things that God embraces. And yet, God is still God. He is still in control. He is still the Master, Ruler, Judge, and King of the Universe. As we look at the news and see stories of sin, ungodliness, and evil. Let us be reminded again of the words from Ecclesiastes 3 that God works in His time. And let us trust Him.
We look at passages like James 5:7-8 and emphasize the call to patience. But, let us not neglect the object of that patience. The verse triumphantly declares, “the coming of the Lord is at hand”. The Lord is coming. It is a promise. And we – who are waiting – must be patient. We must be determined. We must be fixed firmly in our faith. Because God is not a liar. He keeps His promises…
