Can You Stand the Rain?

Meditation Scriptures — James 5:1-11

Be patient, then … until the Lord’s coming….You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. – James 5:11 

The dictionary defines patience as “the capacity to endure without complaint something difficult or disagreeable.” Patience is synonymous with forbearance and longsuffering. Our patience is tested when a goal we desire or expect is threatened or delayed. A simple thing like being stuck in traffic or this continuous rain that has flooded our lives will test our patience. More significant, the daily storms of life that actually produce strife and turmoil can wear away our patience. But there is a need be patient. Impatience makes us vulnerable to not measuring up to our high calling. Impatience nearly always produces destructive anger. Impatience opens the door to you thinking you could manage better on your own, question why others have it; why not you? Or you could simply stop caring. The Apostle James also links it to grumbling and he urges us to imitate the farmer. The farmer tills the soil, plants, fertilizes, weeds, and waits for the rain. With patience He waits for the heavy rain to come to do what he cannot do with his own hands, and that’s to provide life giving sustenance that will bring full maturity to the seeds. The secret to biblical patience is to know what is out of our hands and is in God’s hands. Many of us have heard of “the patience of Job,” but  in James’s day, Job’s patience and endurance was legendary. Job faced one storm after catastrophic loss — his wealth, health and his family. But Job endured the rain and continued to place his trust in God. “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” was Job’s remarkable testimony (Job 13:15) and, in the end Job was richly rewarded by God (see Job 42). Job’s experience teaches us that patient endurance helps us to hold on tightly to our faith, even in the midst of tremendous storms and suffering. To be patient and stand tall in the Lord Jesus Christ, even in a gale force wind of crises and troubles. That’s why John, when he was describing some of the trials that will come upon the church, told his readers, “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people” (Revelation 13:10). We are instructed to “run with endurance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1 ) Christlike patience empowers us to keep on going, even while the storm is raging and we’re getting drench on the path that leads us to the cross.

Meditation Prayer
Lord, the world is full of pressures and difficulties, we are often impatient. We are too easily irritated. Continue to grow in us a patience that empowers us to be  more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Give us a quiet spirit that takes to heart your good timing and open our eyes of understanding to comprehend that even in the rain, we still have joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Contributed by: Pastor Yolanda Douthit

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