James 5

Bible Passage:  James 5

Will You Wait?

These verses caught my eye today…

“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

We who are living in a city country will find it very difficult to appreciate the full extent of these verses. This is because most of us have never planted anything in our lives and do not understand the process that a farmer goes through in order to reap a harvest.

Farmers do a lot of work to yield a crop.

Look at the gardeners in TK every Sun. They will prepare the ground, sow the seeds, water and fertalize them. Then they will protect them against pests, cut away the weeds, and pluck out all the wild grass.

Yes… that’s a lot of work. But there is one thing they cannot do… that is to make something grow!

After all the time and energy and hard labour under the hot afternoon sun, ultimately the yield of the ground is dictated by the weather and natural processes. And more often than not, what is left is the waiting.

Have you ever thought that God works in His seasons?

For those of us (meaning all of us) who have prayed for something or waited for Him to fulfill a promise before, we know that and can testify to the fact that God can be excruciatingly slow.

Does our God lack speed? Of course not!

If He wants to act, He can turn the course of events in lightning fast time. But God has His time and is very, very thorough in His processes.

All of us have certain responsibilities in church and for God’s kingdom. We may have been carrying out His work faithfully but inspite of all our labours, we are still ultimately dependent on His timing.

One thing almost seem certain in many of the things that we do… all that’s left is the waiting.

In a world of instant fixes and information, it is quite hard to sit still and wait for God’s time isn’t it? We fret and grumble (under our breath so that God does not hear (: ) – “I have done my part… why isn’t He doing His yet?”

Perhaps that is why elder James in God’s wisdom, illustrates faithful perseverance with a growing season. There is work involved, but extreme patience is required.

Many of the believers that James was addressing to were going through hardship and opposition… and many longed for the return of the Lord. And while the promises of God in our lives and His ultimate return are certain, they aren’t necessarily immediate.

I read this somewhere and cannot quite quote it verbatim, but it goes like this.. “God is not a vending machine, a drive-through window or a microwave. You cannot just pop in our contribution and expect to receive His response right away!”

Faith almost always involves waiting.

And so we wait.

We don’t always like God’s seasons… but what choice do we have?

And we wait…. and learn to wait.

We must learn to stand firm and be patient even if we don’t like it when things seem so slow.

His delays can be pretty uncomfortable.

But we must learn to wait on the Lord just as a farmer waits on processes beyond his control. In fact, our faith can be purified and strengthened in the waiting. During the interim period, we become convinced of Christ’s coming for us. In response to our faith, He answers our prayers. In waiting, we learn lessons that set us up for the journey ahead.

And just like the gardeners in TK experienced…. when the time is right, the fruits of their labour is harvested. And sweet is their reward.

So whatever things you are going through in life right now… continue to be diligent with the things of God and be patient.. and our ultimate rewards will come when the Lord returns one day.

And that is a guarantee! 🙂

Here is a song that is good reminder and encouragement for us, that is the midst of a hurried and busy world… we must learn to wait 🙂

We Wait

We wait
We’re not in a hurry
O we need You Lord
We wait
All our cares and worries
We lay aside for You
O how we long to see Your face
O how we long for Your embrace

We wait
We’re not afraid to tarry
We yearn for You Lord
We wait
For Your mighty wind to carry us
Into Your presence Lord
And as we fill this house with praise
May Your holy fire fill this place

As we wait

And as we fill this house with praise
Let Your holy fire fill this place

We wait