A Farmer’s Patience
Are you good at the kind of work that requires patience?
Verse of the Day
“Be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
Today’s Devotional
I don’t think I am capable of being a farmer. I am not very good with house plants, or any plants, so earning my living by growing things is probably not the best choice for me. Case in point: my daughter gave my husband and I a kit to grow the ingredients for salsa. There were seeds for jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, and two kinds of tomatoes. The kit also contained little pots, soil, and very detailed instructions. The instructions told us how many of each kind of seed to put in each pot, how deep in the soil to plant the seeds, and the best way to have an abundant harvest in order to be able to make homemade salsa. And I love salsa. But…if you look at the picture above you will see how well it’s going.
I may not be able to grow fresh vegetables, but I have the same kinds of instructions for how to grow my faith. Part of that faith journey is waiting patiently for the promise of the Lord’s return. As Christians, there is nothing more exciting than the thought of Christ’s return. No matter how or when it happens, when we get to be in the presence of the Lord with Jesus, everything will be perfect. But today this world is not perfect. It seems like everywhere we look, we can see things that are not as they should be.
James is telling us what it looks like to wait patiently for the Lord’s return. As we wait, we are called to be faith farmers. We need to plant the seeds of faith in ourselves and in others. We need to nourish those seeds with the Word. We need to know that there are things happening in the soil of our hearts (and the hearts of others) that we cannot see. We need to trust the process. And we need to not be surprised if our faith is lacking in certain areas when we have not done what we can to nourish it.
As we patiently wait for the Lord’s return, we have work to do. And this work does not earn us any “extra credit” with God. We work for God’s Kingdom as a response to His goodness to us. We have a genuine desire to make heaven crowded. But just like farming, this is slow and gradual work. A farmer does not plant the seeds and get frustrated when the field is not ready to harvest the following week. We would be wise to treat people with the same kind of patience that a farmer has with his crop. We are here to plant, or water, or gently help remove weeds, but we are simply not responsible for the outcome. We do these things by sharing our faith, being willing to explain the hope we have in God, being willing to speak truth in love, being encouraging, praying for others, and living in a way that others want to know our God.
I heard in a sermon recently: “Jesus did not only invite us to a ticket to heaven. He invites us to be a part of the mission of God.” Accepting this invitation is messy work that requires the patience of a farmer. Are we willing?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
If you look back over your faith journey, do you see any growth?
How patient are you with the progress of others?
How eagerly do you wait for the Lord’s return? How can you display your eagerness by pouring into the life of someone else today?
How can you focus on your efforts and let go of your desired outcomes?
What parts of your faith need nourishing? What are you willing to do about it?