The Coming of the Lord is at Hand

Article for Wednesday Dec 17, 2025

James 5:7a 7Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

Will the Lord really come again?  Is this not something told to us to keep us doing good.  What if He never comes, have we waisted our time believing in some old fairytale?  Many ask and many start to doubt, but I am talking about those who were seeking Jesus to be born.  Though some may not have figured it out that Jesus was going to come as a baby born to a virgin.

There are people now asking the same questions or doubting whether Jesus will return.  As some get tired of believing and start to look for answers in the wrong places only to find out they just need to be patient.  Be patient, they tell us who live in a very impatient world of people who want it now, right now.  But the truth is if you have faith in our God then patients will follow.

James 5:7b–8a See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8You also, be patient.

You don’t see many farmers worried about the crops they just planted.  The farmer doesn’t stand by the planted field wondering if they will see tomorrow the shoots of what they planted today.  They put their faith in God and water the ground and wait.  In a few days they see the plant shoots from the planted seeds, and they do not wonder why they don’t see the grain the very same day.  The Farmer is a good teacher in faith and patience as they continue to do their part and leave the rest to God.

James 5:8b–9 Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

We too need to put our faith forward and be patient as the second coming of the Lord will be sooner than we think.  He is coming and we can be prepared for His coming by helping one another be prepared.  But in saying this it is not for us to judge one another thinking you are prepared but your neighbor is not. 

We were not put on this earth to judge one another.  Rather we were put on this earth to help one another and be the children of God.  All nations will be judged, but the judge will be Jesus Christ who judged us from the cross.  Not that He condemned us but that He reconciled us to be the forgiven children of God.

James 5:10 10As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

It is not our place to make each other suffer but that we choose to suffer for the Lord.  Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered greatly for our sake and our salvation.  Furthermore, the prophets in the days leading up to Jesus Christ suffered and were killed by those who lost their faith, but the profit kept their faith.  The apostles, all but one, suffered and died for keeping their faith.  Not that they lost their lives but that they gained their life in the eternity of life with Jesus Christ.

James 5:11 11Behold, 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.

      Those who stand steadfast in their faith will stand with Jesus Christ for all eternity.  Though it may seem we have suffered a loss look at Job who lost everything except his faith.  He was rewarded ten-fold of everything he lost. 

Not that we earned our spot in heaven, but that God welded the faith He gave you to your soul.  So, whatever we suffer in this life we can consider gain.  For Jesus died for our sins to be resurrected to bring us through a resurrection that takes us to eternal life.  Not just life but an eternal relationship living with our Lord and savior as a gift from God.