Longsuffering While Anticipating Jesus
James 5:7–11
When the Bible speaks of patience, it is primarily speaking of
.
The verb makrothymēsate (“be patient”) describes the attitude of self-restraint that does not try to get even for a wrong that has been done. It usually represents long-suffering patience toward persons rather than things
Longsuffering is a fruit of the Spirit, but also is an act of faith, believing that the
of God will bring about God’s purpose.
Longsuffering fixes our heart upon God’s promises and changes our attitude from frustration to
. (v.8)
The desire for the return of Christ should not produce lofty, theological debates, but should produce
. (v.8)
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” —1 Peter 4:7
We are to be longsuffering like a farmer waiting for the
. (v.7)
We
Early and Latter Rains
We
The harvest is completely dependent on the timeline of the
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” —Galatians 6:9
We are to be longsuffering like the prophets who spoke on
of God.
We stand our ground based on
We speak the Truth regardless of the
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” —Hebrews 12:1
We speak of the goodness of God especially during
We are to be longsuffering like
.
Though we lose everything, we stand in the
“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither: The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” —Job 1:21
Though we be discouraged or confused, we keep our heart
“In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” —Job 1:22