Based on James 5:7-11 (New King James Version)
“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. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
Together with love, patience is the most difficult to cultivate in a person’s life. Moreover, the patience of which the Lord speaks of in His Word is not seen moment to moment, but rather, it will only be seen as an end product. That’s why the same passage we read today encourages us to be patient until the coming of the Lord, until our end, because the Lord can come globally and that be our end, or it can happen to us individually. That’s what the coming of the Lord is about. The Lord is the One who determines the end of each person, when He comes for us.
Unfortunately (at least carnally speaking), patience can mean a lot of pain and tribulation. When a person walks with the Lord, looking to God’s will, a lot of things can happen. Incredible, marvelous, and even miraculous things can happen, but also sad and painful things can happen, humanly speaking. This is what we read about faith, and what happened with different people: “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews 11:32-40. I know that this does not sound very encouraging, but the Bible warns that many things can happen, and even when doing God’s will.
Why speak of things like these, and especially now that things are so difficult? And the reason is that it is necessary to live a reality, and that the Lord never promised that this world would be paradise. Hope in Christ does not necessarily involve the here and now. The Apostle Paul said this about the matter: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:19. The reason for why people most of the time desist in their faith in the Lord is because they have been given a false gospel, that if they do God’s will, that everything will be good here and now. But also, let us not blame completely those that preach things to take advantage of others. They will give an account before God for their lies and cheap manipulations. But also, there are people that like to cling on to the momentary, and that’s why they fall in such traps, because they choose to replace the truth for something that they think is more convenient for them. We can draw a parallel here to explain the point even further. People that use drugs are just as responsible as the people that sell drugs. There are many people that get into selling drugs because they know that there are many people that like them also. It is a simple economic law of supply and demand. So, the same thing happens with those that despise God’s truth for things that sound attractive and superficial.
Now then, the Lord taught us that tough times would come, and especially in our times, but He said that we would need to endure until the end to be saved, as it is written: “And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:4-13.
So then, the reality is that, whatever happens, it is necessary to persevere. It is necessary to learn patience. We need to overcome the temptation of turning back from our faith in the Lord. This is the great temptation with which the devil is always trying to attack us with. And this is what the Word tells us: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:12-15. That is why the Lord encourages us in the following manner: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9. This is the true patience we need to develop so we can receive what only God can give through Jesus Christ. And God allows for such struggle, and for us to be tempted in such a manner because it is too valuable what He has to give. It cannot be simply given to people that are not ready to receive it. The reward is too great, and it can only be obtained by loving and following the Lord faithfully. That is what God needs to see in us through our struggle, through our patience. So then, do you love the Lord and value what He has for us to the point of even being ready to live and die for Him? Lord bless! John