Connect360: God’s Waiting Room

• Lesson 11 in the Connect360 unit “The Making of Authentic Faith: Wisdom that Works” focuses on James 5: 7-11.

If you ask a child—or even an impatient adult—to wait for something, one of the most natural questions for him or her to ask is, “How long?” It is one thing to have to wait, and it is a whole other thing to decide whether or not waiting is worth the time it will take.

Throughout Scripture, the day of the Lord’s coming is emphasized as the culminating moment when humanity and the world will be restored to God. The trick is that no one except God the Father knows when this day will arrive.

It makes sense that James opened this section by saying all believers must practice waiting until the Lord’s coming. It also makes sense that centuries of believers since have asked impatiently, “How long will it take?” We still do not know the answer to that question, but it is clear that we must continue to wait until the big day arrives. Patience is a lifestyle.

Depending on where you live, you may or may not be aware of how farming is a game of timing. A farmer’s crops will be successful or ruined based on the timing and type of weather. Yet even a farmer knows to be patient because the day of harvest is coming. All the patience will be worth the wait. This is why James pointed to a local farmer as an example and then said, “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

Stand firm

Be patient. Stand firm. We should not be surprised at the first part, but what does “stand firm” have to do with patience? One way to interpret this is as a resolve. The believer must resolve in his or her mind to stand firm in the decision to wait for God. Even when it feels like God is taking too long, and even when every nerve has been tried, the resolve to wait for God’s timing will keep one from giving up. The resolve to stand firm begins in the mind.

There is also the physical posture of standing firm, which alludes to the familiar lyric, “I shall not be moved.” Like a tree that may bend and toss under pressure, its deep roots will keep the tree grounded. To stand firm and wait for God as a farmer waits for harvest also has a physical component. The inner decision leads to the physical posture of standing firm, or not letting go of patience. The discipline of waiting for God will then develop roots that will anchor the believer both now and, in the years, to come. In the same way, patience is a lifestyle decision. It is a resolve, mentally and physically, to stand firm and wait for God despite how long it will take for God’s answer.

Compiled by Stan Granberry, marketing coordinator for GC2 Press, formerly known as BaptistWay Press.

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