Scripture Reading: James 5:7–11
“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. 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. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Sweet Summertime Memories
There’s nothing like biting into the sweet juiciness of a cold, ripe watermelon on a hot summer day. You know the feeling—that first bite that makes the heat fade away for just a moment. Maybe for you, it’s not watermelon. Maybe it’s a crisp apple, a juicy strawberry, or your favorite summer treat.
Whatever it is, there’s joy in that simple pleasure.
But have you ever stopped to think about the farmer who planted, tended, and harvested that fruit? The time, patience, and care it took to bring it to your table?
The Farmer’s Lesson in Patience
I got to see this firsthand as a teenager. Some of my family grew watermelons, and my mom would take me to visit them. I was always eager to know if it was time to pick one. I’d ask, “Are they ready yet?”
The answer was usually the same: Not yet.
Pick a watermelon too soon, and it won’t be sweet. Pick it too late, and it’s past its prime. But when the moment was right, I was told I could go pick one out. And the best part? We didn’t just cut it—we threw it down on the ground and busted it open! The sweet, juicy red heart inside was like treasure, and I remember devouring it right there in the field.
Even now, when I cut into a watermelon, I think of that joy, that anticipation, and the reward of waiting for just the right time.
Patience Isn’t Passive
In James 5:7–8, James uses the example of a farmer to teach us about patience. Farmers don’t just throw seeds into the dirt and walk away. They work the soil, pull the weeds, water the plants, and watch for signs of growth.
Patience, in God’s kingdom, isn’t sitting still and doing nothing—it’s active waiting. It’s living faithfully in the in-between. It’s making choices each day that honor God, even when you haven’t yet seen the answer to your prayers.
The farmer trusts the process because he knows the harvest will come in the right season. Likewise, we can trust God’s timing because we know His promises never fail.
When Waiting Feels Hard
Let’s be honest—waiting is hard. Waiting for a prayer to be answered, a door to open, a relationship to heal, or a breakthrough to come can feel exhausting. Life isn’t always fair, and sometimes it feels like everyone else is moving forward while you’re stuck.
James isn’t blind to that reality. That’s why his encouragement is so powerful: Be patient. Establish your hearts.
Establishing your heart means anchoring yourself in the truth of who God is—faithful, good, and always present. It’s reminding yourself, “I don’t know when the harvest will come, but I know the One who sends the rain.”
Perseverance Produces Strength
Dry seasons are not wasted seasons. When we remain faithful in the waiting, God uses that time to strengthen us. Perseverance produces endurance, and endurance shapes our character.
The reward for waiting on the Lord isn’t just what we get at the end—it’s who we become in the process. We learn to depend on Him, trust Him, and walk with Him in a deeper way.
Encouragement from the Psalms
King David understood this. In Psalm 27:13–14, he writes:
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
David’s life was filled with seasons of waiting—some of them very painful. Yet he chose to remain confident that God’s goodness was not just a future hope, but something he would experience here and now.
Waiting Well
So how do we wait well?
- Stay rooted in Scripture — Let God’s Word be your daily bread in the waiting.
- Keep serving — Don’t put your life on hold while you wait. Keep blessing others.
- Pray with expectancy — Pray as if God’s answer could come today.
- Guard your heart — Watch out for bitterness or impatience to take root.
The Harvest Will Come
Just like the watermelon in that field, the sweetest fruit in our lives often comes after a season of careful tending and patient waiting. It’s worth it. God’s timing is never late, and His harvest is always right on time.
So if you’re in a season of waiting, be encouraged. Establish your heart. Keep pressing forward. And trust that, in the end, the sweetness of God’s faithfulness will be worth the wait.
Reflection Questions:
- What’s something you are currently waiting on God for?
- How can you actively wait instead of passively waiting?
- What past experience can you look back on where God’s timing proved to be perfect?
Pastor Tricia's Ramblings 
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