Mosaic (Nov 21)
- Amber Thiessen
- 18 minutes ago
- 5 min read
“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (Jam. 5:7).
Driving an open highway feels free and easy. The rhythm is simple, even relaxing, as prairie fields stretch across the horizon on repeat.
Without noticing, we can adopt this picture as our expectation for life. We don’t anticipate conflict, disruption, or detours; we crave the smooth, effortless path. I remember in my very young, very green missionary days assuming that God wouldn’t let things get that hard—not after everything we’d given up to serve Him. (Cue the cringe.) I had clearly forgotten most of the content of my Bible reading.
We know life doesn’t work that way, yet when a diversion disrupts our plans, it still catches us off guard.
James has just warned his readers of God’s judgment on the wealthy who used their power for harm. And he reminds them that the Lord will not only judge the wicked but also deliver the faithful.
Be Patient
I don’t know how often you hear people acknowledge “I’m not a patient person.” (I know I’ve admitted this before). Patience always costs us something. It asks us to sit instead of stand, close our mouths instead of speak, and let go instead of grasp for control.
Biblical patience means staying calm when we face injustice, provocation, or suffering and responding without complaint, anger, or revenge. One commentary describes it as “keeping one’s heart from jumping.” I feel that jump whenever I’m offended—my heart springs up before my mind can catch it.
James challenges us: be patient.
Patient like a farmer
“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains” (Jam. 5:7).
I’m a farmer’s daughter, and I know firsthand how intensive the work of preparing crops can be. Farming demands real effort—and an equally real release of those efforts to God. We might imagine farmers as naturally patient people, but in my experience, their patience goes hand in hand with an undercurrent of urgency.
First, you wait for the snow to melt so you can work the land and ready it for seed. Once the fields are dry enough, it’s “go” time, because thousands of acres need tending. Then you hurry to plant the seed, and once it’s in the ground, you wait again—praying urgently for timely rains and warm soil to help it germinate.
But the weeds grow too, and the fields need tilling so the plants have space, sunlight, and nutrients to grow without hindrance. And as summer storms roll through, you pray—asking God to spare the fields from hail, from too much rain, and from any insects or diseases that could threaten the crop.
Finally, after months of watching and waiting, you begin the harvest.
Make no mistake: a farmer’s patience is not passive. He trusts God with the outcome of his labour, but he works actively—moving swiftly when the time is right and acting with prayerful wisdom. His life becomes a continual surrender to God’s sovereignty. It’s a picture of trusting God with what we can’t control and honoring Him with what we can.
Patient like a prophet
“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord” (Jam.5:10).
I remember our seasons of suffering—when despair and fear tried to take hold of our hearts and minds. I remember my body worn thin, with no tears left to shed, and yet God met me with grace to whisper, “God is good. God is faithful.”
The Old Testament prophets give us a picture of faithful endurance in the face of suffering and opposition. They proclaimed the truth again and again, calling Israel to turn back to God in repentance. Words met with ridicule, exile, and even death.
Yet they persevered, steadfast in speaking truth.
“In the middle of hardship, we are to speak about the goodness, the greatness, the judgment and the mercy of God” (p.133, Exalting Jesus in James). We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are truth-tellers and beauty-seekers.
Whether we face suffering or opposition, may our lives become an anthem that declares God’s glory.
Patient Like Job
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (Jam. 5:11)
We rarely know how our seasons of suffering will end. That uncertainty keeps us wobbling between trust and fear, surrender and anxiety. Job had everything—and lost everything. He wrestled with his pain and struggled to make sense of what had happened. Yet his prayers, questions, and lament kept him tethered to God as he tried to reconcile his faith with his circumstances.
Suffering is messy but Job kept steady.
When we flounder through our own dark nights in the valley, we don’t walk alone. Our Good Shepherd is with us, helping us persevere and anchoring our hope in His promises and purposes.
And so we learn to grow in patience—to wait with a holy urgency, to speak truth while we watch for the fulfillment of God’s promises, and to live faithfully as we look for His kingdom to come.
In which part of your life is God shaping patience in you right now—and how can you meet Him there?
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