James 5:7 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.

Patiently Waiting

Do you remember class projects as a child? I remember in first grade, we had a project that showed the process of life. We took soil and placed it in a cup. Then, we added a seed. We watered the seed and placed the cup in sunlight. We watered the seed a bit every day and waited. Finally, the seed sprouted, and we were so excited. This process took patience, which was especially hard for children like us.

In the same fashion, we are to wait upon the coming of the Lord. God has planted hope in our souls for eternal life with Him. We are now in the stage of patiently waiting. This is a tough act for us because we are not accustomed to waiting. We are in the age of instant gratification. Everything can be known at the touch of a button. But, we are called to wait!

Waiting but not idle

James 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

As we wait patiently, we are to establish our hearts. If we could prepare this to gardening, this is the time in which we would pull weeds from the soil. We are being sanctified in this time. Our thoughts and actions are being shaped more into the image of Christ. This is where we find that our walk with the Lord can be difficult. The roots of weeds can be very deep. Removing them can be painful, but the process is necessary for premium fruit.

James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

This is a time when we often tend to grumble against others. We look around and compare our lives to those around us. We think we know what sin looks like in their lives, and we think our path to good fruit should be easier. In other words, our sin is not as bad as theirs. But this is not their time; it is ours. We need to focus on us. Jesus is at the door. He wants our fruit to be the best!