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31st July 2025
ThursdayReflection
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Jarrett Fletcher
one of the pastors at Glen Haven Baptist
Church
Please turn with me to the book of James,
chapter 5:7-12
The main idea of our text is patience
Patience is a difficult subject to discuss.
It is something that we all know that we need, but we often fail to possess.
It is something that we want and admire in others, but in a tough moment, we do not want it and are aggravated by those who have it.
But for followers of Jesus, patience is an integral part of our faith.
It is a fruit of the Spirit, according to Galatians 5.
To remain impatient is not an option for the Christian.
It is my prayer that God, through the preaching of His Word and the power of His Spirit, may equip each of us to grow in being patient for our good and His glory.
Let's read our passage together
7 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. 8 You also must be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord's coming is near. 9 Do not complain against one another, my friends, so that God will not judge you. The Judge is near, ready to appear. 10 My friends, remember the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as examples of patient endurance under suffering. 11 We call them happy because they endured. You have heard of Job's patience, and you know how the Lord provided for him in the end. For the Lord is full of mercy and compassion. 12 Above all, my friends, do not use an oath when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Say only "Yes" when you mean yes, and "No" when you mean no, and then you will not come under God's judgment.
James calls us to be patient until the coming of the Lord.
But what is patience? Why do we need it? And how do we get it?
There are two ways to look at patience. Patience is not getting angry or upset at delay, trouble, or suffering.
Consider an obvious example of delay, like traffic. Patience in traffic includes not getting angry or upset because of the delay.
Or take a serious example.
Have you ever had the dreadful experience of waiting weeks to hear a medical test result?
Patience is the ability to not get roused or upset during that period of time.
But what?
Patience, in this sense, is the continual trust in God's timing and His character.
This trust is the inner bedrock for the outward avoidance of frustration.
Our trust in God's timing and His character is what James is concerned with.
After James gives two commands to be patient until Christ comes, he tells them twice that Jesus' return is imminent.
Jesus promised he would come back and establish His kingdom on earth by saving those who are His and judging those who are not.
He promised to come back and inaugurate completely and finally all of what he accomplished on the cross - the decimation of sin, death, Satan, and all the effects of brokenness forever.
James appeals to this return in verse 8 when he says, "you too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near."
In verse 9, he also tells them that "the Judge (Jesus) is standing right at the door."
The tense of the verbs in Greek gives the sense of Jesus' return being very close.
The authors of the New Testament call for patience.
The author even records Jesus saying, "I am coming soon!"
Nevertheless, the author calls for patient endurance until his coming throughout the book- including five times in just the first three chapters!
Jesus is coming soon.
But we must be patient.
The only way we can do that is to trust God's timing.
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This is an edited version.
The full article, and Bible references, is avaiable on request
Scroll down for the continuation of this discussion.
Jarrett Fletcher
I currently serve as one of the pastors at Glen Haven Baptist Church,
where I get to focus on discipleship and missions.
I received my M. Div. from Southeastern Seminary where I concentrated in New Testament Greek and Biblical Interpretation.
My desire with this blog is to share snippets of what I am reading, learning, or currently teaching.
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However, this principle doesn't only apply to being patient in regard to Jesus' coming. It applies to every other aspect of life as well.
Constantly remind yourself that you can trust God's timing.
With every event, every season, every trial of your life.
If we can trust God with the timing of world-changing, cosmic events, can't we trust him with the small details of our life?
If God gave us His Son, why wouldn't he make sure to take care of the other little things we need?
If you would quite literally sacrifice yourself for your children, and almost every parent would, wouldn't you also make sure they had food?
Of course you would!
That's the greater to lesser argument.
It applies here as well. If we can trust God's timing of colossal cosmic events - i.e. the return of Jesus - we can trust him with the timing of every event in our lives as well.
He is working every detail and every event out according to His purpose.
Believing that creates patience.
So believe it.
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