One thing has become crystal clear from the time I have spent hanging out with farmers –they are experts at waiting. Heck, in most case it takes several years before a newly-planted crop produces its first bounty.
Farmers have learned how to wait patiently–which is not an occasional thing, it’s an everyday thing. And when a crippling act of nature sidelines their harvest for a few years, waiting patiently gets real tough real fast.
It’s the same thing for all of us, really. Waiting patiently in the middle of a personal challenge is just like those assaults on a farmer’s crop. NOT EASY!
But that is precisely when God wants us to rely on him the most. Here’s how James puts it:
“Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains.” James 5:7 GNT
I know…waiting is very hard when we are suffering. But God says be patient, anyway, and rest in his promise that the harvest will come.
James gives us his piercingly powerful clarion call for us to strengthen our commitment to obey Christ and become impervious to that which would destroy our ability to wait patiently.
I ask God to stiffen my resolve to stand tall in the face of life challenges that require his brand of patience.
