James 5:8 AMPC
[8] So you also must be patient. Establish your hearts [strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty], for the coming of the Lord is very near.
The letter of James covers different topics, but as the letter ends, James touches on an issue that has always remained relevant, no matter the dispensation or generation. This is an issue that relates to the return of Jesus, and this could either be at the rapture, when He returns suddenly to take all tbose who are eagerly waiting for Him, or at physical death, when the mortal gives way to the immortal, and there can be no reversal of the eternal destination for anyone. It is this experience that all of us must prepare for and expect, because it is a promise made by a God who does not lie. He has not yet been found to be a liar about these last days.
Am I also waiting for that day, or am I focused only on the here and now? I am charged to be patient, and I love the example that James used in the verse just before the one above. It is a picture of a farmer who has taken time to pay the price early by preparing the seed and the ground that will receive the seed. He knows that the seed will not germinate and start bearing fruit all on the same day, but he also knows that, with the right preparation, the supply of the right materials, and of course, heaven's breath, a bountiful harvest is guaranteed. The farmer knows that if you really need the output, you cannot skip any of the important inputs on that journey.
So, the farmer prepares the ground, the seed, the understanding of the ideal season for planting, the aids to growth, the conducive environment for safety and development into maturity, and then he has to wait. He trusts that God wil send His rain on the ground at the appropriate time, and in the appropriate quantity, so that the seed has what it needs to grow properly. Even if the farmer sits down in front of the seed he has put in the ground, he will not see it sprout out of the ground. God is the One with the prerogative on the timing and manner of the process that will lead to fruit. This is why man can never play God, and how God reserves glory for Himself alone.
Fretting solves nothing, but only creates health issues. Worrying about output does not lead anywhere profitable. As the farmer has to wait for the results of his efforts, so must we also wait for the manifestation of all that we have been promised, if we stick in faith to all that God demands of us. Like the farmer, I cannot afford to keep my eye on the prize only and then fail to put in the work required to lead to that prize. I cannot keep ny entire focus on heaven only, and then forget how to live a life of impact down here. I place my heart in the hands of the One who knows how to preserve me to the end. Indeed, He will return one day. May He find us ready. God's time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment