Heralds Digest

  “ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ” James 5 : 7 - 8 NKJV Besides the blissful peace of paradise, practising the presence of the Lord in all of this life’s endeavours is priceless. Unfortunately, hearts often ache at either the absence or insufficiency of material prosperity, social relevance, and political recognition; and would readily sacrifice waiting upon the Lord at the altar of these perilous presence. Therefore, believers’ hearts need consistent feeding on the promises of the Lord for development of courage and perseverance in moments of emotional instability. Thereafter, the hearts must pray consistently to get the hearts to wait patiently for the fulfillment of these promises. Obviously, without faith in the Lord primarily, it ...

  “ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5 : 7 - 8 NKJV The analogy of prayer with seed farming speaks to the necessity of patience and perseverance, while waiting for the coming of the Lord in all of believers’ spiritual relationships. A farmer by trade has developed so much faith in the soil or earth to the extent that his labour and sweat on the seed sowing exercises are laced with the ease of patience and perseverance. When we start sowing prayer like seeds on the altar in our secret place, it gradually becomes an act of faith that grows eventually into a solid evidence of the manifestation of the power of God. Believers’ prayer may not stop the avalanche of droughts, but patience and perseverance in prayer do readily see the turning...

  “ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful .”  James‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Oftentimes, we wear disappointment on the call to suffering and patience on our sleeve. Developing faith in God and delay in obtaining deliverance from life’s challenges do not always seem to provide an acceptable explanation of a good, merciful, and compassionate God. Notwithstanding, the scriptural admonition here is “ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience “. It implies that anyone who cares to ultimately speak in the name of the Lord or operate in the realm of faith must be willing to enroll in the school of suffering and patience. Suffering and patience create a channel that blocks out all interf...

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James‬ ‭5:7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Interactions with the elements of this world in our social and work life can come with great discouragement, disappointment, and dissatisfaction. This is because rules that govern cohabitation, coexistence, and collaboration are sometimes disgruntled and depressing. And in a jungle where FairPlay is a misnomer, believers need an extra grace to persevere in patience with life’s painful experiences. Actually, when the heart is established on the joy and sweet fellowship in the coming of the Lord, the coercion in life’s harsh interactions will become meaningless. Therefore, even in this world, this gracious and persevering patience brings the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, includin...