Speaking to the soul

Be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return

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.
James 5:7-8 NLT

The idea of waiting is easy – until you have to do it! Waiting can be incredibly difficult and especially if you don’t know how long you are going to have to wait. Waiting for medical test results, waiting for a member of the family to make contact or waiting for someone to repay a debt. Any of those can sap your energy and leave you feeling disappointed and confused.

The challenge we have to face is that Christians are waiting people. We are all waiting for the Lord’s return, and no one can be sure when it is going to happen. The one fact that is definite is that he is going to return, because that is what he promised to do. In Acts 1:11, after Jesus’ ascension, his disciples were assured, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

I had relatives who were so sure of the Lord’s imminent return that they believed that it was inappropriate to store any food. The Lord might return in the next day or two and so it was irresponsible to keep supplies. That was taking it a bit far in my view, but God certainly does want to live with the daily awareness that this very day might be the day of Jesus’ return.

Israel is a very hot country but it also enjoys a considerable rainfall. There are two distinctive times of rain – the early rain which starts in October and the latter rain which falls in May. A farmer can wait for the rain with confidence, and in the same way we need to live our lives with confidence that history is in God’s times and that one day Jesus will definitely return, just as he promised.

QUESTION

Are you ready for Jesus to return today, and if he doesn’t are you willing to wait with patience?

PRAYER

Thank you Lord that history is in your hands. Help me to be ready for Jesus’ return, whenever it happens. Amen.