We live in the age of instant everything. Same‑day shipping. Next‑day delivery. Streaming on demand. Real‑time updates. If the Wi‑Fi lags for five seconds, we’re ready to throw the router out the window. Waiting feels like punishment.
And then God asks us to wait. Not just for minutes or hours—but sometimes for years. That’s the tension of Advent. We’re living between Jesus came and Jesus is coming again. And the waiting feels long. Too long.
So what do we do when God’s timing doesn’t match ours?
James 5: The Farmer’s Lesson
James writes to believers who were tired, persecuted, and asking the same question we ask: “How much longer, Lord?” His answer isn’t a countdown clock—it’s a picture.
A farmer plants the seed, prepares the soil, and then waits. She can’t rush the rain. She can’t force the harvest. She trusts the process because she knows growth takes time. Roots come before fruit. Delay isn’t a problem—it’s part of the process.
Waiting Is Where Growth Happens
We’ve been conditioned to expect instant results. But spiritual growth doesn’t work like Amazon Prime. You can’t microwave maturity. You can’t fast‑forward faithfulness.
James reminds us that the early rains prepare the soil, and the late rains bring the harvest. Both are necessary. Some seasons can’t be skipped. Some lessons only grow in the dark.
The way you wait reveals what you believe.
Frantic waiting shows distrust.
Faithful waiting shows confidence that God is working, even when you can’t see it.
The Prophets: Patience in Suffering
James points to the prophets as examples. They didn’t just wait—they suffered while they waited. Jeremiah preached for 40 years without seeing results. He was rejected, imprisoned, mocked. Yet he stayed faithful.
His obedience outlasted his opponents. His words outlasted his suffering. The wait wasn’t wasted—it was development.
Advent Isn’t a Countdown
Advent isn’t about crossing days off the calendar until Christmas. It’s about cultivating hearts. It’s about asking:
What is God growing in me during this season?
What seed of faith is He asking me to plant?
What is He developing in me that I couldn’t get any other way?
A Listening Challenge
Ask God where you’re struggling to stay steady.
Ask Him what seed of faith He wants you to plant.
Bottom Line
The same God who kept His promise the first time will keep it again. Jesus came. Jesus died and rose. Jesus promised to return. And He will.
So we wait—not because we have to, but because we trust Him. And when the harvest comes, we’ll look back and say: The wait was worth it.
