The Power of Patience

In this section (James 5:7 - 12) James went back to the theme he started with, at the beginning of his Epistle (James 1:1 - 5), where he addressed the suffering believers who went through various trials. God is not going to right all the wrongs until Jesus Christ returns, and we believers must be patient and persevering.

James said: "Therefore be patient, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmers waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and later rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and mereciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No,"lest you fall into judgment" (James 5:7 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that three times James reminded us of the coming of the Lord (James 5:7, 8, 9). This is the "blessed hope" of all Christians (Titus 2:13). We do not expect to have everything easy and comfortable in the present life.

Jesus said: "In the world you will have tribulation; ..." (John 16:33). Paul exhorted his converts that "we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). We must patiently endure hardships and heartaches until Jesus returns.

James gave three encouraging examples of patient endurance to illustrate the power of patience - the farmer, the prophets and Job.

The farmer (James 5:7 - 9)

James said: "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door" (James 5:7 - 9)!

If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain can cause the crop to rot, and too much sun can burn it up. An early frost can kill the crop. How long-suffering the farmer must be with the weather!

He must also have patience with the seed and the crop, for it takes time for plants to grow. Jewish farmers would plow and sow in the autumn months. The "early rain" would soften the soil. The "later rain" would come in early spring and help to mature the harvest. The farmer had to wait many weeks for his seed to produce fruit.

Why did he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is "precious" (James 5:7). The harvest is worth waiting for.

Paul said: "... for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).

Jesus said: "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:28, 29).

James pictured the Christian as a "spiritual farmer" looking for a spiritual harvest - "You also be patient. Establish your heart, ..." (James 5:8). Our hearts are the soil, and the "seed" is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil. Sometimes, our hearts become cold and "wintry," and the Lord has to "break up (plow) your fallow ground" before He can plant the seed (Jer. 4:3). He sends the sunshine and the rains of His goodness to water and nurture the seeds planted; but we must be patient to wait for the harvest.

Here, then, is a secret of endurance when the going is tough: God is producing a harvest in our lives. He wants the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22, 23), and the only way He can do it is through trials and troubles. Instead of growing impatient with God and with ourselves, we must yield to the Lord and permit the fruit to grow. We are "spiritual farmers" looking for a harvest.

You can enjoy this kind of havest only if your heart is established (James 5:8). One of the purposes of the spiritual ministry of the Local Church is to establish the heart - "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established ..." (Rom. 1:11). Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to establish the young Christians in the faith (1 Thess. 3:10 - 13). The ministry of the Word of God and prayer are important if the heart is going to be established. A heart that is not established cannot bear fruit.

Keep in mind that the farmer does not stand around doing nothing. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest. James did not tell these suffering believers to do nothing while waiting for Jesus to return. They should keep working and waiting. Jesus said: "Blessed is that servant whom his muster will find so doing when he comes" (Luke 12:43).

The farmer should not grumble or fight with his neighbors. One of the usual marks of farmers is their willingness to help one another. Nobody on the farm has time and energy for disputes with the neighbors. Impatience with God often lead to impatience with God's people, and this is a sin we must avoid.

The prophets (James 5:10)

James said: "My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience" (James 5:10).

Jesus said: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:10 - 12, emphasis added).

The prophets were persecuted for righteousness sake. They were in the will of God, yet they suffer. They were preaching "in the Name of the Lord," yet they were persecuted. Satan tells the faithful Christian that his suffering is the result of sin or unfaithfulness; and yet his suffering might well be because of faithfulness!

Paul said: "... all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12).

We must never think that obedience automatically produces ease and pleasure. Our Lord was obedient, and it led to a Cross!

The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake. Elijah announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought in the land for three and one-half years; and Elijah himself had to suffer in that drought. But God cared for him, and God gave him victory over the priests of Baal. Someone said: "The will of God never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you."

Many of the prophets had to endure great trials and sufferings, not only at the hands of unbelievers, but at the hands of professed believer. 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, wh died for the 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 much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.

But have not many faithful Christians suffered and died without any notice or recognition? Yes, but when Jesus returns, these "obscure heroes" will receive their rewards. The prophets were killed and buried, but today their names are honored. When our Lord comes again, He will bring His reward with Him (Rev. 22:12).

Job (James 5:11)

James said: "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James 5:11, emphasis added).

Notice that perseverance and trial go together in your life. You cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life. There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks without valleys. If you want the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle.

In order to prevent us from becoming spoiled, pampered children God has to balance privileges with responsibilities and blessing with burden. God had to give Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble (2 Cor. 12:1 - 10).

When do "blessings" come? In the midst of trials we may experience God's blessings, as did the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3); but James taught that there is a blessing after we have endured. His example was Job.

The Book of Job is quite lengthy. The chapters, filled with speeches, seem long and tedious. In the first three chapters you have Job's distress - he losses his wealth, his family (except for his wife, and the told him to commit suicide), and his health. In chapters 4 - 31 we read Job's defense, as he debates with his three friends and answers their false accusations. Chapters 38 - 42 present Job's delieverance. First God humbles Job, and then He honors Job and gives him twice as much as he had before.

In studying the experience of Job, it is important to remember that Job did not know what was going on "behind the scenes" between God and Satan. Job's friends accused him of being a sinner and a hypocrite. They argued with him that there must be some terrible sin in his life, otherwise God would never have permitted this suffering. Job disagreed with them and maintained his innocence during the entire conversation. The friends were wrong. God had no cause against Job (Job 2:3), and in the end, God rebuked the friends for telling lies about Job (Job 42:7).

It is difficult to find a greater example of suffering than Job. Circumstances were against him, for he lost his wealth and his health. He also lost his beloved children. His wife was against him for she said, "Curse God and die" (Job 2:9). His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions there was no reply from heaven.

Yet, Job endured. Satan predicted that Job would get impatient with God and abandon his faith, but that did not happen. It is true that Job questioned God's will, but Job did not forsake his faith in the Lord - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him" (Job 13:15). Job was so sure of God's perfections that he persisted in arguing with Him, even though he did not understand all that God was doing. That is endurance.

God made a covenant with Israel that He would bless them if they would obey His laws (Read Deut. 11). This led to the idea that, if you were wealthy and comfortable, you were blessed of God; but if you were suffering and poor, you were cursed of God. Sad to say, many people have that same erroneous idea today. When Jesus said it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven, the disciples were astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"

The Book of Job refutes that idea; for Job was a righteous man, and yet he suffered. God found no evil in him, and even Satan could not find any. Job's friends could not prove their accusations. Job teaches us that God has higher purposes in suffering than the punishing of sin. Job's experience paved the way for Jesus, the perfect Son of God who suffered, not for His own sins, but for the sins of the world.

In Job's case, I believe the end purpose of the Lord is to reveal Himself as full of pity and tender mercy. There were other results from Job's experience, for God never wastes the suffering of his saints. Job met God in a new and deeper way (Job 42:1 - 6). After that, Job received greater blessings from the Lord.

Someone might argue that if God is so merciful, surely He would protect Job from all that suffering to begin with. I believe that there are mysteries to God's working that our finite minds cannot fathom. But this we know - God was glorified and Job was purified through this difficult experience. If there is nothing to endure, you cannot learn endurance.

What did Job's story mean to the believers James wrote to, and what does it means to us today? It means that some of the trials of life are caused directly by satanic opposition. God permits Satan to try His children, but He always limits the extent of the enemy's power (Job 1:12; 2:6). When you find yourself in the fire, remember that God keeps His gracious hand on the thermostat! - "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

Satan wants us to get impatient with God, for an impatient Christian is a powereful weapon in the Devil's hands! When Satan attacks us, it is easy for us to get impatient and run ahead of God and lose God's blessing as a result.

Exhortation (James 5:12)

James said: "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment" (James 5:12).

It is easy to say things you do not mean, and even make bargains with God, when you are going through difficulties. "'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong" (Job 1:21, 22).

James was reminding us of our Lord's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:34 - 37). Believers are not to swear falsely but to let their "Yes" be Yes," and their "No," be "No," and anything more if from the evil one.

One of the purposes of suffering is the building of character. Certainly Job was a better man for having gone through this furnace of affliction.

Conclusion

As you review this section, you can see the practicality of it. 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 gloriy God. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities for 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 shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.