Waiting Patiently for the Lord
9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door! 10 Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. 11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:9-11)
Continuing the theme of patience and waiting for the Lord to do His will, James tells the believers to not fall into the temptation to grumble and complain about one another during times of tribulations and challenges, for they will be judged by God, “Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged.” As mentioned yesterday, James states that believers should have in their minds at all times that the Lord could arrive at any moment, “Look, the judge stands at the door!” Knowing that the Lord could come and would immediately impart judgment due to their character, believers should live glorifying lives. Anders gives an illustration, “Instead, too often we behave like a group of students fighting in a school classroom while the absent teacher walks rapidly toward the room. Jesus is coming! How are you living?”
Then, in verse 10, James shares on how the prophets of the Old Testament endured trials and tribulations, “Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience.” One prophet that we have been studying in our weekly Bible studies is Jeremiah. Jeremiah had been faithfully sharing the Lord’s message for years, calling the nation of Judah and people of Jerusalem to repentance or judgment would come upon them. But, the people refused, and instead, decided to try to kill Jeremiah, with some of his own family members being a part of the mob. Yet, Jeremiah would continue to share faithfully.
Finally in verse 11, James gives one more example, Job, the man who lost his children, his material possessions, and his physical health, and yet, he endured faithfully, and in the end, was not only restored, but blessed and given more than what he originally had, “See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” Even through all the trials and hardships, the prophets of the Old Testament and characters like Job held onto the hope that the Lord would provide them the strength and energy to persevere through the difficult times, and sure enough, the Lord did. Therefore, may we not fall into the temptation to complain about our current circumstances, or blame others around us for our trials and difficulties, but instead, like the believers of the past being encouraged by their testimonies, may we faithfully wait upon the Lord and bring Him our pain and concerns, and He will respond with His compassion and mercy.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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