The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

James 5:7-11, “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.
8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”

There are many admirable things about Dr. Martin Luther. Luther, however, invited disagreement when he spoke of James’ epistle as a “strawy epistle.” Many biblical scholars believe that Luther rejected James because James emphasized good works instead of faith. Careful attention to James’ epistle, however, shows that his emphasis on good works is as the result of faith, rather than the means of faith.

My personal “trouble” with James’ epistle is that he emphasizes patience. It’s extremely convicting, because I’m not by nature a patient person; and four times, James uses the word! It’s as if he’s aiming his message directly at me! Forty times overall, the Scripture uses the word “patience.” Twelve times we find it in the Old Testament; 28 times we find it in the New! Are we, who live under New Testament guidance, less patient than Israel and others of Old Testament times? Apparently so. We seem gripped in the jaws of the “I-want-it-now” category.

James’ lovingly practical appeal is that we “…let patience (endurance) have her perfect work.” Simple headaches are often solved by swallowing aspirin. But, even then, it’s not immediate! The aspirin takes time to work. So it is with the troublesome vicissitudes of life. The LORD’s timing is quite often not ours. Yet, He is the Great Physician, and we must remember that. Those who followed Him throughout their lifetime, we have counted as “having been blessed.” So, let us live that those who follow us in life will call us blessed, too.

Faithfully and fervently study the Life of Jesus Christ! Entrust your life fully to Him and learn patience. I promise you readers that I will earnestly try. Will you faithfully join me?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom