James 5:7–12 (ESV)
Patience in Suffering
7 Be
patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also,
be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As
an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth
or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The return of Jesus
in glory shapes the Christian life. Confidence in His return (vv 7–8) gives us a perspective on how we relate to one another (v 9) and our sufferings (v 10). God promises to remain with us and restore us to Himself
(v 11). In our shortsighted, self-focused lives, we dwell on our own problems and try to deal with them ourselves. The quicker we get out of a mess, the better. But this is not God’s perspective. He looks at the true goal: eternal life with Him. Consequently,
our sufferings can be borne with patience. He gives faith to sustain us through suffering and confidence to endure all things until He comes again.
I pray: Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly! Yet grant me patience as I wait on You. Amen.[1]