DAILY WORD: James 5:7-8 (NIV)
LET’S MAKE JESUS GO VIRAL!
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
The people:
As with most of the new testament, the letter of James was first addressed to the early church in Israel and beyond its borders. The NIV bible calls this letter a “how-to on Christian living”. It is deeply practical, easy to understand, and yields eternal rewards in this life and the one to come. We all need the book of James because like the people of the early church, we need the wisdom to make our lives practically powerful. This letter is a rainbow of practicality, each colour a great wealth of wisdom to be used to paint the canvas of daily living.
The plot:
The plot in this passage of the book of James is that James is encouraging his readers to be patient. This is not the first or last call for patience in the bible. Many of us are waiting for promises to come true. Many of us are busy in the process of faith to see these promises come true. We all need patience. Without the wait, to victory, we will not equate.
The point:
The intended message to the original audience is to ask them to wait on the Lord’s coming. This coming is not only of the Lord in person but generalises for the coming action of the Lord in their lives. In the Beatitudes Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure for they shall see God”. Patience is an integral aspect of godly purity. If the readers were to see the acts of God in their lives, they had to be patient.
The principles:
The key principle is the parable of the sower and the seed. In this context, James reminds the readers of Jesus’ parable. This parable can be summed as follows: Everything in existence begins as a seed. If we need a thing in our lives, God gives us the seed to sow and nurture until the fruition of that thing. It is only when we are faithful over the seed, that we bear the fruit of our promise. It is our task to be good farmers over the seed God gives us. Each season has its allocated seed. We must discern the lesson of the season and know what seed is needed in each season. The act of sowing and reaping summarises the sum of all existence including our very lives.
James expresses the need for patience to allow the reader’s seeds to come to germinate and bear fruit. He also emphasises the lack of control the sower has beyond planting and watering the seed. This lack of control is key. We cannot possibly determine the duration of the growth of our seeds. All we can do is sow and water. The growth is in the hands of God. We have the lesser responsibility and He has the greater. The act of living, as in the art of sowing is an act of surrender to the Father and our brother Jesus.
This parable is important because the parable of the sower and the seed explains all parables. Every aspect of our life is an aspect of the parable of the sower and the seed. This is explained in the first gospels by Jesus, and repeated here by James. Once we master this key insight, we have the entry to successful Christian life. James is asking us to be watchful over our seed. This means we must be faithful over the process. Mastery of the waiting process produces success.
The letter of James speaks of standing firm. This means that we will encounter opposition to the growth of our seed. Being patient is a prerequisite to standing firm. Beyond patience, we need the perseverance to do the right thing even when the wrong thing is happening. We need to stay the course in the face of mighty opposition. The parable of the sower and the seed is not an easy road. We need to be soldiers who will not give up until the reaping has come.
Our priorities:
The greatest of truths of the bible sometimes seem too simple. Yet the truth is that revelation begins with the obvious. It is only in obeying God in these obvious matters that the door to greater revelation will be opened. If you are struggling in your life right now, it might not be for lack of revelation, but rather a lack of application. The parable of the sower and the seed is easily spoken but needs perseverance to apply. It is when we persevere in the sowing and watering of our seed, that we receive the fruit of the promise God has made to us. Your task is to make the wait core to your existence. Add this quality to your life. In this way, you will have greater purity and see the hand of God. This word is a reminder to my person too because I have been guilty of being hasty many times. We’ve all blown it in the waiting game: now let’s make it work. Remember: The greatest winners are good waiters.
The plan:
It is necessary to develop a plan of action, a plan of waiting. In this season, what seed has God given you? How are you planting and watering that seed? Have you already given up or are you faithful? What support system do you have in addition to the Lord and his Word? Being part of a church and small fellowship group allows the Lord to encourage you on a regular basis. This encouragement and correction from your fellowship will mature you in your journey and lead you to success. You are not in this alone. Connect with others. As they sow their encouragement in you, you will increase in patience, and successfully tend to your seed.
LET’S MAKE JESUS GO VIRAL
Comments