Be Patient in Times of Trouble

Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. Friends, don't complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner. Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail. (James 5:7-11--Message Bible)

James is all about becoming a mature Christian. That is its central theme. This section in James is very encouraging because it addresses something that we all can relate to: suffering or troubles in our lives. James uses 3 examples of those who show a great deal of patience and perseverance in troubles. First, he uses an example of a farmer. Farmers are some of the most patient people you will know. They plant in faith that their crop will come up and they have to deal with things they have no control over, mainly the weather. Too much rain can rot the crop or too little rain will cause it to dry up. While that is out of their control, they patiently wait on the harvest. In the same manner, we wait for a spiritual harvest.

James' second example is the prophets. I never really thought about this before, but quite a few people (yes, even Christians) think that their trials and troubles are a result of something they must have done wrong. However, if you think about the prophets, they were totally in the will of God, yet were often persecuted for doing what was right. Many of the prophets had to endure great trials and sufferings, not only at the hands of unbelievers, but at the hands of professed believers. Jeremiah was arrested as a traitor and even thrown into an abandoned well to die. God fed Jeremiah and protected him throughout that terrible siege of Jerusalem, even though at times it looked as though the prophet was going to be killed. Both Ezekiel and Daniel had their share of hardships, but the Lord delivered them. And even those who were not delivered, who died for their faith, received that special reward for those who are true to Him. Why is it that those who speak in the name of the Lord often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a faithful, godly life carries so much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.

A third example was that of Job. There is no better example in the Bible of someone that showed so much patience under such duress. He lost his family, health, and material blessings that he had. His friends blamed God and him and his own wife came against him. But Job endured patiently and in the end, he received more from the Lord than what he originally started with. Perhaps Job suffered so that God could reveal himself in a deeper way to Job. We don’t always understand why we go thru the things we go thru, but this we do know: God can be glorified and we can be purified thru difficult experiences. Just think, if there is nothing to endure, you cannot learn endurance.

So what is the answer? God’s grace is sufficient for us. When you find yourself in the furnace, go to the throne of grace and receive from the Lord all the grace you need to endure. Remind yourself that the Lord has a gracious purpose in all of this suffering, and that He will work out His purposes in His time and for His glory. James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer, we are waiting for a spiritual harvest, for fruit that will glorify God. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities to witness, to share the truth of God. And, like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly. And like Job, we can have a deeper relationship with God.

Be patient in times of troubles.....God will work in you!