Be Patient 

James 5:7–8 CEV

7 My friends, be patient until the Lord returns. Think of farmers who wait patiently for the spring and summer rains to make their valuable crops grow. 8 Be patient like those farmers and don't give up. The Lord will soon be here!

Being restless is a real thing in our walk with the Lord.

James was writing to people who were hoping and expecting that Jesus was coming back from heaven at any moment. 

People had even sold everything, quit their jobs, and were waiting for the Lord Jesus to return for the church. They had no clue about God's timing. 

Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church about the return of Christ. 

1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 CEV

15 Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died. 16 With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. 17 Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. 18 Encourage each other with these words.

Paul shared an incredible promise; it was especially good news to people who were being persecuted. Those early believed wanted Jesus to return because they were being attacked from all sides just because they believed He was the Messiah. 

Paul reminded them that it was impossible for them to know the hour or the day:

1 Thessalonians 5:1–2 CEV

1 I don't need to write you about the time or date when all this will happen. 2 You surely know that the Lord's return will be as a thief coming at night.

‌James is telling them the same thing. To be patient. 

You and I need to think about the coming of the Lord and ask a couple of questions:

Are we ready? And, Do we feel the urgency the early church felt? 

If Jesus promised He'd return, then why is it taking so long? It's been thousands of years! It's easy to understand why people have stopped expecting Him. If modern-day believers had the same expectancy as the early church, we might live differently. We might be more concerned with the work He called His believers to do on earth. 

‌The problem is that the Lord has waited for what seems like an eternity. Why? If He promised to return, why has He waited for so long? 

That's a tricky question because, yes, it's been a long time, but no, it really hasn't been a long time. 

God doesn't operate in time like we do...

‌2 Peter 3:8 CEV

8 Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day.

We are bound to time, but God isn't! But still, why hasn't Jesus returned? 

The simple answer is that He is full of grace. If the Lord had returned before we surrendered our lives to Him, we would have been condemned to hell. It's only by His love and Grace that we were saved before judgment came to humanity. 

God LOVES His creation. 

John 3:16–17 CEV

16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 

17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

While patiently waiting for the Lord to return, we are called to work for this great news! There are still others out there who are lost and haven't heard the good news that Jesus has come to set them free from sin and condemnation. 

James was writing to encourage people who were waiting, but earlier in his letter, he encouraged them to put their faith into action. We need to follow his instructions. Patiently wait for the Lord, and at the same time, get to work telling everyone how He changed our lives! 

He's coming back, but until He does, we can lead others to the truth. Let's get out there and do our part!