James 5:7,8 says this,
“7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
In this passage a farmer is pictured as he patiently waits for a good harvest. The good farmer is not someone who sits around, twiddling his thumbs, with nothing to do but sit and wait. Rather, he is busy planting good seed and tilling his soil in the hope that when early and later rains come, he will reap a good harvest.
James is writing to Christians who were facing many hardships and would not see justice happen in this life. He encouraged them to strengthen their hearts with the knowledge that the Lord Jesus is coming again to bring about perfect justice at His second coming. James is saying don’t sit around waiting, but be active in building ourselves up! So with faith and patience, we trust in God’s sovereign providence, and we seek to do His will in this life. Our waiting is not a passive waiting as if we have nothing useful to do until the Lord comes again. Rather, we are called to do good works which flow from our faith in Christ.
Ephesians 2:10 says,
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
We can bear witness to the hope that we have in Christ and His Gospel message. This hope is what should inspire us not to take revenge on someone who has wronged us but instead seek to bless and forgive them. May God grant us grace and strength to live out the Gospel as we seek to serve Him and be patient, waiting on the coming of the Lord.
