April 9 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 99—James 5:7–8

⁷ 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. ⁸ You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Devotional:

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord." Consider the farmer. "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." (v. 7). The farmer perseveres in plowing and sowing and cultivating. But at the end of the day, he has to wait upon God for the rain that's necessary for a harvest.

"You also, be patient. Establish your hearts…" (v. 8a). Why are we to be patient and establish our hearts? Because "the coming of the Lord is at hand" (v. 8b). What does that mean? It means that when our Lord came the first time, he launched "the last days." This present evil age has already begun to come to an end. The age to come has already begun. It will be perfected and consummated at just the right time when our Lord returns in power and glory.

We pray, "Thy kingdom come." But how can we know when the kingdom comes? The key is to watch the King! The kingdom comes when the King comes! The kingdom came in humiliation and grace when the King came the first time. The kingdom will come in power and glory when the King comes back the second time.

The second coming of the Lord is at hand—it can happen any time now—and there will be a sure and certain harvest when it does. Therefore, "be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (v.8).

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.