Don’t see the audio player? Click here.
We often grumble when we can’t find the TV remote, because it is more difficult to change channels. Flipping channels is what we do when we don’t like a program. The ability to flip channels quickly testifies to our modern impatience. We seldom want to wait for anything. As a result, we tend to ignore James’ urge that we show patience. But he urges us to be like spiritual farmers, especially when we are undergoing trials. In Ch. 5, He says a farmer plants his seed, and patiently waits for the autumn and spring rains. The farmer knows he cannot control the rain any more than we can control the God-ordained trials we face. Yet the farmer knows that AFTER the rains comes harvest, the time of reward and rejoicing. Here is what James says, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient.” Of course, patience does not mean that we do nothing. It means we rely on God as we live for him, as we work for his kingdom, as we speak out against injustice, and as we share the truth that God forgives, and saves all who trust His Son Jesus Christ. Indeed, our reward from Christ will be well worth the wait.
