7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Jeremiah the prophet asked a resounding question of our human existence,"Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously (Jeremiah 12:1)?" Job also wrestled with this question. Why does it seems as if the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer? Where is the justice of God? Why does God allow the despair of the righteous in the midst of the prosperity of the wicked?
James, Christ's half brother, provides comfort and encouragement to the righteous in regards to all of this. Having pronounced the coming judgment of the wicked for what they have wrongfully done to good people who do not even resist or retaliate against them. Addressing the righteous by the term "brethren," James urges patience!
What is patience! Patience is the ability to wait without becoming weary, frustrated or discouraged. Patience is the ability to hang in there without becoming angry or bitter. One has patience by reason of an assurance that they have. Hence, with reason, James urges us to be patient in the midst of enduring difficulties and injustice. Regardless to the delays of wrongs being corrected, wait on the Lord! As believers in the Lord, we should trust the impending return of Christ! So just be patient! Encourage yourself and your hearts by maintaining a constant focus on the coming of the Lord!
We can maintain our focus on the Lord's coming just as a farmer waits for his crop yield. A farmer continues to tend to his crop even while he waits. The yield of his crop is not only delayed, but is also dependent on something beyond the farmer's control. He is depending on the early and later rain. Yet, the early and later rain always come in its due season. The farmer continues to do what is necessary for his crop yield even through the yield of the crop is delayed. He does this because he is assured that the early and later rain will come in its due season.
So, it is for the believer. Keep on believing! Keep on trusting! Continue being faithful to the Lord! You should encourage your heart to not become discouraged or impatience while you are waiting for the Lord's return. We don't know when the Lord will return, but we know that the Lord will come in the Lord's due time. You need to be found faithful when He comes. Isaiah the Prophet said that "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)." Keep on working and remain faithful in your labors for the Lord! Wait for the coming of the Lord!
Committed to Serve,
Dr. A.L. Purham, Sr., Pastor
The Freedom Church of Duncan, SC
#Freedom #Church
