“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. Be ye also patient;
stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one
against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth
before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of
the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we
count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy”
(James 5:7-11).
Introduction
Focussing on the past, present and future often produces heartache,
disappointment and eventually, bondage. Unless there is unconfessed sin in our
lives there is no point in reliving or reminding ourselves of past errors.
Getting caught up with the present, with its daily problems and difficulties,
has a major pitfall for the believer; it is easy to forget that God is in
control of our future. Tomorrow is a new day … “Weeping
may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Being
fearful about the future has destroyed the faith of many, for it drives people
into the occult and false religion.
We are living in the ‘growing season’. It is a time to mature in Christ by
living according to God’s will and purpose. Bad things may happen along the
way, yet faith and patience comforts us with the fact that our future is secure
in the Lord who is not affected by time … “Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).
The husbandman’s patience
“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. Be ye also patient;
stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James
5:7-8).
The husbandman [farmer] is Christ, and He is patiently waiting for His fruit on
earth to ripen. When He planted the church it began to grow as soon as the
‘showers of blessing’ fell upon her on the Day of Pentecost, but there is a
harvest to be reaped at the end of the church age. The harvest will not come
until the “latter rain” comes. The
latter rain swells the grain and prepares it for harvesting. The first church
may not have been perfect, but it did walk according to God’s word, they did
not compromise but lived faithfully and holy before Him and the world (see Acts
2-3).
The final outpouring of God’s blessing will prepare the church for the Second
Coming of Christ. There may or may not be a massive revival, but it is certain
that the church has to be holy and committed to the Lord … “That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). The prophet Joel speaks of this event … “Be
glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath
given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the
rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors
shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I
will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and
the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the
LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be
ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the
LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall
come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your
young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids
in those days will I pour out my Spirit” (Joel 2:23-29).
Like the farmer, we need patience to endure the difficulties of life.
Persecution may come to test our faith, that is, to determine if we truly stand
in Christ. Patience is required as we await His return. “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the
way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And
some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away,
because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up
with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare
fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath
ears to hear, let him hear. And His
disciples asked Him, saying, What might this parable be? And He said, Unto you
it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are
they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which,
when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a
while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among
thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having
heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke
8:5-15). This is the same patience James speaks off.
The judge’s punishment
“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned:
behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who
have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and
of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very
pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:9-11).
Grumbling, impatience and quarrelling are the hallmarks of many congregations
today. Sometimes it is very difficult to patiently endure the irritations and
problems others may cause us, but being constantly at loggerheads with our
fellow believers might hinder us from receiving the outpouring of God’s
blessing and being prepared for Christ’s return.
When we first see the face of the Lord will He have the countenance of a joyful
farmer or an angry judge? Judgement
starts with us … “For the time is come
that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17), because the
Judge is standing at the church’s door. Many think that the judgement has been
averted since Christ has been virtually locked out of their churches, but He
still stands there ready to enter … “Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation
3:20). The only way we can avoid the wrath of the Judge is by judging ourselves
by getting our house in order in preparation for His coming … “For
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we
are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1
Corinthians 11:31-32).
Conclusion
The Lord is coming soon! Are we ready to meet Him? Do we desire the outpouring
of His blessing today? Are we willing to live holy and faithful lives unto Him?
Our time here on earth is the ‘growing season’ as we mature in Christ and
bear much fruit for His glory.
Page created 27 January 2006