AdventSample

Day 17: Be Patient, Beloved

Reflection:

Like farmers waiting for rain, we’re called to patient endurance. Advent forms us into people who trust—even when fruit is not visible. James asks us to remember the patience of Job. He had lost everything. He was tempted to curse God and die. But he remained steadfast, with no explanation other than the reminder of God’s sovereignty. This is perhaps the hardest lesson for Christians to come to terms with, and it remains one of the most difficult for which theologians can find adequate response. It is not simply that we struggle to find an answer to our suffering; it is that we are refused a tidy conclusion. Like the farmer, we are simply asked to wait for the maturing of the harvest—in His time and with His provision of the appropriate rains. Interestingly, the only practical refrain that James commands is not unlike the commands of the prophets: stop complaining! Learn not to grumble. It is so easy when we suffer to blame something (or someone!) for our afflictions. But James says this is the point of our patience, that it prepares our hearts for the Judge who is coming, and gives us hope of the bounty that he brings when we persevere.

Meditation:

In what circumstances do you need to acknowledge and trust in God’s sovereignty? Are you giving thanks and not complaining?