March 7th - James 5:7–8

James 5:7–8 Waiting sounds easy – until you have to do it! Waiting can be incredibly difficult and demanding, especially if you don’t know how long you are going to have to wait for. Waiting for medical test results, for a member of the family to make contact or for someone to repay a debt, for example, can sap your energy and leave you feeling exhausted, disappointed and confused. The challenge we have to face is that Christians are called to be a waiting people. We are all waiting for the Lord’s return, and no one can be sure when it is going to happen. He is going to return, because that is what he promised to do. In Acts 1:11, after Jesus’ ascension, his disciples were assured, “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” I had relatives who were so sure of the Lord’s imminent return that they believed that it was inappropriate to store any food. They felt 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 us 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 that starts in October and the latter rain, which falls in May. The farmers can wait for the rain with confidence. In the same way, we are able to live our lives with the certainty that history is in God’s hands 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