WAITING LIKE A FARMER

WAITING LIKE A FARMER!

James 5:7-8

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman [farmer] waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

           Picture a local coffee shop very early in the morning. One old farmer has just arrived and jingles the bell as he gently closes the door behind him. He is dressed in overalls, flannel shirt, work boots and an oily John Deer cap. He joins a group of other farmers in the corner where two tables have been pushed together. The smell of coffee is in the air. Yonder comes the waitress with a smile and a fresh mug. She doesn’t ask but simply pours the mug full of black steaming brew.

           All these men are working! What looks like a lazy interruption of farmer work is actually the hard job of waiting. All these farmers know that once their work is done the rest is up to God. The soil has been plowed and the seed has been sown. Now they settle down to pray for rain and to exercise patience. God is now actively working because no farmer can control the weather. Too much rain can rot the crop and too much sun can burn it. An early frost can be devastating. Yes, all these men are working hard at talking, drinking coffee and waiting.

           James pictures the Christian as a spiritual farmer. There are seasons to the spiritual life and sometimes it appears that nothing is being done. This is the season that requires patience. It is a time to repair and sharpen the equipment and to sit with others and hope over a cup of coffee.

           Here, then, is the secret to endurance. We need to remember that God is trying to produce a harvest of spiritual fruit in our lives. Seeds of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith” are beginning to sprout in us. Trials and troubles are sometimes needed for the harvest. So grab a mug of patience, with a side order of hope, and take a seat at the table of waiting.

Dear Lord, the signs of harvest are all around us. Help us as we exercise the hard work of patience. AMEN