Be patient- unto the coming of the Lord

Jas 5:7 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.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.


Be patient.

Being patient means waiting for something, yes? Can you have patience if you're not waiting for anything? I can have patience waiting in a line. I can have patience waiting in a doctor's office. I can have patience waiting for a package to arrive. I can have patience as I'm listening to someone- waiting for my own turn to speak. I can have patience as I wait for someone to learn a task they're not familiar with. When someone has patience with me, they're exhibiting that patience because they're waiting for me to even find comprehension of something they're saying. Patience is indicative of waiting, of endurance.

To be patient unto the coming of the Lord means to endure the waiting for our Lord calmly. We lack patience when we are waiting in distress, upset when what we wait for isn't coming to pass. Patience is persevering.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Some men think it is slackness concerning the promise Jesus made to return. That Jesus hasn't return promptly enough.

This is part of the Webster's definition of slackness-

'Remissness; negligence; inattention; as the slackness of men in business or duty; slackness in the performance of engagements. Slowness; tardiness.'

Unlike a set appointment time, we know the Jesus will return- not the when. We cannot truly say He is slack in His promise when we were never given an actual time, right? Some who are impatient will count Jesus slack- they'll say He's remiss, He's negligent, He lack attention towards His promise, He's slow, He's tardy. We look at the state of the world and can't imagine what is keeping Him from fulfilling His promise. We look, just as the Apostles looked and thought the exact same thing. They wanted Him to return in their time. The Apostles looked at their corrupt world and desperately wanted Jesus to return. They DIDN'T count Him slack though because they trusted He would fulfill that promise just as He said He would and He wouldn't come a moment sooner. They trusted that no matter how awful their world became, no matter how awful their own personal situation and the situation of those around them, that Jesus in love would return and not delay out of anything even remotely considered slacking. Jesus is LONGSUFFERING - Jesus endures the agony along with all His chosen- suffering along with them- not wanting a single person that would be His to be lost, not one. Jesus will not return a moment too soon, He will be right on time, His time, the time He's appointed- knowing that all who would be saved are save, and those that would be lost are lost and beyond saving by their own choice.

Jas 5:7 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.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Anyone who has done any gardening of produce understands that you cannot rush the process of growth, of maturity, of bringing forth the fruit, ripe to the picking. Sure you can add various nutrients, supplements, chemicals and what not but in the end the process is not shortened considerably. A seed germinating and springing forth does so in its appointed time. The growth of the vine, the stalk, the plant all takes time. The appearance of the flowers to pollinate will not be forced against time. The growth of the fruit all takes time. The stuff of science fiction and fairy tales has a seed planted and full grown, bringing forth fruit in a single day- that is not reality. There is a process and as it is with these plants needing their early and latter rain- Jesus' return is a process and NOT to be rushed because we desire Him to return selfishly. Our desire should be our Savior's desire, that He not return until all who will come to Him have come to Him- not a single one is left out.

We must be patient unto the coming of the Lord.
Our hearts must be establish in that patience, knowing the Lord's coming is a REALITY, it is INEVITABLE and not something we dare forget.

By the grace of God we will be establish in our hearts- patient unto the soon coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

In HIS LOVE!
By HIS MERCY!
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!


Amen.