James 5 v: 7
Be patient, then, my brothers, until the Lord comes. See how patient a farmer is as he waits for his land to produce precious crops.. He waits patiently for the autumn and spring rains. You must also be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord’s coming is near.
The golden days of September and October have been usurped by rain. As November approaches the leaves on the lawn are no longer crisp and crunchy, rather they are heavy and sodden, the earth in the vegetable garden is claggy. As one who rejoices in warmth and sunshine It would be easy for me to slip into despondency.
I love this passage from James. It reminds me firstly that the autumn rain is just as much part of God’s creation as is the summer sun. The leaves may look brown and uninviting but they will by dragged down into the soil by greedy earthworms where they will help to nourish soil ready for next year’s planting. The mountain streams will fill and flow quickly downstream washing away debris and re-oxygenating the deep pools. The soil will retain enough moisture to ensure that next year’s seedings are able to take root and flourish. More importantly though, the passage is a reminder that Jesus will return. We can be sure of that as surely as we can be sure of the seasons.
The farmers has faith that the much needed rains will come. What he cannot do is control when the rains will come. He can only wait, patiently. Likewise we cannot order Jesus’ return, but simply live patiently, firm in the faith that His Kingdom will, one day, prevail. In these uncertain and worrying times may we hold firm to that certainty.
