Today’s Scripture: Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. (James 5:7 ESV)
Patience isn’t easy is it? However, in James 5:7 we are told of how the process and the results of patience bring forth precious fruit. Today’s affirmation is drawn from this example and I will wait patiently for the precious fruit of the Lord.
There are times we must wait and the key is to have God involved all along the way. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. (James 5:13 ESV) If we seek God whether we are praying or praising we will experience God’s precious fruits of compassion and mercy.
Today we can experience the power in the praying life. James told us: Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV) Hmmm, “as it is working”. What is happening in us and others as we wait for the fruit and pray together? The power of the unseen Spirit is at work in us and through us. Can you think of some things you have experienced while waiting and praying in the Lord?
Today’s Prayer: Father God I do praise You and pray to You for patience. Strengthen my heart Lord and grant me perseverance as I await Your coming. I confess my sins to others and pray also for them. In these prayers I know You have great power and I pray with all of my might to You. I thank You for Your Spirit and for the precious fruits You will provide in Your perfect timing. Today dear Lord I will wait. Amen
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Great encouragement from one writer to another. Thank you. Wait patiently for the fruit. Patiently. Patiently.
If you only knew how encouraged and humbled I feel to have you consider me a writer since you really are one! Yes we will keep writing what He puts on our hearts and hands as we wait. I pray God will bless our writings and we honor Him in the process! Thank you for your encouragement and faithfulness!!
I happen to be one of those people who upon occasion has been heard to say, “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now!” 🙂 Other times I have been known to say, “don’t ask for patience unless you want trouble.” So I try to stay away from asking and trying to accept whatever He does with me. Good thoughts Tom.
Great perspective Bill! Thanks for sharing and I love your heart of acceptance to the whatever! I appreciate your visits!
hi Tom, today was hard for me. I so wanted to have everything in my children’s ministry to go well, and it didn’t. Every week I plan and organize and devote hours into preparation, and the day gets here and well something always has a glitch. I’m learning that it is hard for me to see the fruits when I obsess on the negatives. So, I guess I need to learn to be more patient, and rejoice in the blessings and wait on the “glitches” to work out. I ask for your prayers and appreciate your posts, so very much.
Lize, thank you for allowing me the priviledge to pray for you and your ministry. I am thankful that you can find encouragement and patience in this word from God. May the Holy Spirit show you the joy that you have a ministry to give yourself to. May God remid you that it is His ministry and He will provide your daily bread. God will provide so much bread there will leave basket fulls left over. These are His children that He has given you to care for. Cast your worries and tireless efforts over to Him and know if there is a glitch He can use that glitch to work in us while we are praying for Him to guide and bless this ministry. Many glitches end up being blessings and they ALWAYS work out for His good because I know you are called to His purpose. God I know you love Lize and I know You love these children. I know this is Your ministry and not Lize’s and You Father God bear the weight of responsibility because we give You this ministry. God please fill Lize with Your Spirit of wisdom, joy, peace and patience. Yes, Father God we await Your precious fruit that will prosper in this ministry and in the lives of the beautiful children. In Your Mighty and Gracious name we pray!! Amen Thanks Lize, please keep me posted on blessings and challenges as I am always available to pray for you and with you. Tom
The way I see it, our degree of patience has very little to do with God’s timing. God does what he does when he does. Not that he doesn’t care about how we feel or deliberately leaves us twisting in anxious anticipation. It is just my experience that he knows what we need and when better than our patience and limited senses and perceptions do.
From James 1:5 “…But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ”
Based on what I get from this scripture, patiently waiting is extremely good for us.
Ciao.
Chaz
Amen Chaz!! That word “perfect” really stood out to me as well. Like metal in the furnace, as you said so well, with our “limited senses and perceptions” we can not see it , we can not understand it but in it He is perfecting us and perfecting the timing to complete His plan. Thanks for checking in and sharing your welcomed experience! GREAT points and references! Thanks!
Tom
Patience…oh my. Waiting is such a character builder for me. The longer I have to wait on something the more I see the “yuk” in me…God uses this often to wash away my ‘flesh’.
Patience…truly a virtue that reveals the amateur in me.
love to you today Tom…R
Thank you Robin, for the life of me I can not see any “yuk” in you. I know we all have are darknesses but you my friend have a beautiful spirit and I pray the evil one stays far away as he tries to tell you otherwise. Love to you Robin and thanks for stopping by and sharing!!
Patience is tough for me at times, because like a lot of folks, I want to see results right now! 🙂 Thanks for the reminder today…!!
Patience is a toughy, thanks for visiting!