Hurry Up and Rain!

James 5:7-8

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Farmer Bill has just finished planting his field of barley. He has tilled the soil, made sure it was aerated, he very carefully laid out the furrows and made sure each was straight as an arrow. Then he took the seeds and planted them at just the right depth, covering the seed with fresh dirt, and patted the topsoil in place.

Satisfied with his work, Farmer Bill looks at his watch, scans the sky and yells, “Well? Hurry up and rain!”

Farmer Bill has issues. Nobody can make the rain fall, you have to be patient. Any farmer who stands at the edge of his field checking his watch and tapping his foot in impatience while waiting for rain may have a long wait ahead of him.

James tells us to be patient while we are waiting for Christ’s return.  He tells us to take courage because the Lord’s return is near.

This fact is both comforting and sobering. It is reassuring to know that the day our Savior will come for us may be near. But at the same time, we must honestly ask ourselves, “Am I living in a way that will bring His approval?”

Farmer Bill doesn’t just wait at the edge of his field until harvest. Every day he’s out there watering, weeding, and making sure the birds don’t eat his seed.

We need to be Farmer Bills while we wait for Christ to return. Every day we need to be preparing our hearts, sharing Christ with others, and doing all we can to live for God.

We’re not waiting, we are working!

Today’s Readings: James 1-5

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