A Lesson from the Farmers

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:7

OK, so Kristen and I both grew up in farming families, so I’ve got to confess: this Scripture makes me laugh. Really, James? Are farmers really that patient? I mean, I remember growing up around farmers, and it could quickly turn to panic time if we didn’t get a good rain. This year we even saw the opposite, where we got too much rain. The farmers were waiting for it to stop raining. But I wouldn’t call them all that patient.

But then I realized what James is talking about. You see, we seem to make patience into some type of feeling rather than a demeanor. When I think back to the seasoned farmers that I know, I realize now that while they always talked about the weather, most of them realized there wasn’t much they could do about it, except wait. That’s what they do. They probably pray more when they really need rain, and they can certainly get testy as well. But they wait, knowing that they are totally dependant upon God’s provision.

In the same way, this is what we are called to do. Just like the farmer plants his seed in the spring, fertilizes it throughout the year, and harvests it at the end of the season, so we are called to live out our lives in faithful obedience to serving God where he has placed us. But ultimately, just like the farmer, we have to realize that we are totally dependent upon God’s provision. While we will see much of that provision here in this world, we will only see it fully and completely when he returns. May we be patient until then.