Proclamation:
"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until The Lord's
coming. See how the farmer waits
for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and
spring rains. You too, be
patient and stand firm, because The Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against one another,
brothers and sisters, or you will
be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of
patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of The Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what The Lord finally
brought about. The Lord is full of
compassion and mercy." James 5:7-11 (NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit
of God by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ. James was encouraging the people to be patient,
not just with the trials and tribulations of life, but to be patient with each
other. Things will happen in God's due
time. Pain and suffering are a part of
living. Those who had gone on before
them had suffered, persevered, and were blessed. He reminded them of Job and what he went
through, and how God blessed him.
Application:
Most of us are very impatient people. We want what we want, and we want it right
now. We need to develop patience. Some of the things that we go through in life
are part of our preparation and development, so that God can use us. Personal growth takes time. We may not be ready to handle some of the
things we ask for at the time we request them.
It is also possible that God has something different and better in store
for us which requires some maturation before we can appreciate it. We also need to recognize that others may also
need time to learn and grow. We need to
be patient with, and to pray for, others as they learn and grow. All of us can say, "We are a work in
progress, be patient with us, God is not finished with us yet."
No comments:
Post a Comment