Will Your Faith Endure? | James 5

Will your faith endure when following Jesus gets difficult?

In this episode of Practice the Word, we conclude our study of the Book of James with James Chapter 5—a powerful challenge to live with genuine faith that doesn’t merely begin well, but finishes well.

James closes his letter by confronting some of the biggest tests of the Christian life: our relationship with wealth, how we respond to suffering, our willingness to wait on God, and whether we will remain faithful until Christ returns.

We examine James’ warning to wealthy oppressors and the dangers of hoarding, exploitation, and self-indulgence. The issue isn’t simply having possessions—it’s what happens when our possessions begin to possess us.

Then James turns directly to suffering believers with a very different command: be patient.

Using the farmer waiting for the harvest, the perseverance of Job, the prophets, and Elijah, James reminds us that spiritual growth takes time. Waiting develops faith, character, integrity, and dependence on God.

We also hear a powerful testimony of Christian perseverance under persecution and consider a difficult question: Can we still recognize the goodness of God when following Him costs us something?

Throughout James, we’ve been challenged to be doers of the Word: to endure trials, reject favoritism, control our tongues, live wisely, resist pride, submit to God, and put genuine faith into action.

Now James leaves us with one final question:

Will our faith endure?

📖 Scripture: James 5:1–20

00:00 War in the Heart, Fire in the Soul
00:57 Opening Prayer
02:08 Meet Allison
03:11 Faith That Endures Until the End
03:38 James Is a Mirror, Not a Checklist
05:32 The Challenge of the Book of James
06:43 Will Your Faith Endure?
07:10 A Powerful Story of Christian Persecution
13:29 Thanking God Even in Persecution
14:13 Elijah Was a Person Like Us
14:53 Perseverance and the Return of Christ
16:00 Why the Old Testament Still Matters in James
16:55 From Judgment to Restoration
17:52 James 5:1–6 — A Warning to the Rich
18:53 Is James Condemning Wealth?
19:41 Hoarding, Exploitation & Self-Indulgence
20:49 What Scripture Says About Withholding Wages
21:56 Where Your Treasure Is, Your Heart Will Be
22:51 The Love of Money
23:12 James 5:7–11 — Be Patient Until Christ Returns
24:06 God's Answer to Suffering: Be Patient
25:15 God Never Wastes the Waiting
25:34 Why James Uses the Farmer
27:30 Is God Saying No—or Preparing You?
28:35 The Early and Latter Rains

If this study encourages or challenges you, share it with someone who is walking through a season of waiting or testing, and subscribe for more episodes of Practice the Word.

#James5 #BibleStudy #BookOfJames #ChristianFaith #Faith #Jesus #ChristianLiving #BibleTeaching

Creators and Guests

Host

Bryan Ford

Host of the Practice the Word Podcast

Host

Veneta Ford

Host of the Practice The Word Podcast

Guest

Allison

What is Practice The Word?

Practice the Word is a Christ-centered podcast for people who are ready to stop sitting on the sidelines of faith and start living the Word of God in everyday life.

Hosted by believers who love Jesus, serve people, and understand the real-world trials of business, family, ministry, hardship, and obedience, this show is for anyone who feels called to step out of the boat and walk with Christ more deeply.

Each episode encourages listeners to read Scripture for themselves, trust the Holy Spirit, serve others with sincerity, and become doers of the Word — not hearers only.

Through biblical conversations, personal stories, interviews with Christian leaders, and practical encouragement, Practice the Word exists to point people back to Jesus, remind them that every day is a gift from the Lord, and challenge them to live fully surrendered to Him.

Whether you are new to faith, returning to God, wrestling through a difficult season, or ready to go deeper, this podcast is an invitation to get off the fence, open the Bible, and practice the Word.

00:00:00:02 - 00:00:21:09
Unknown
Hello, everyone. Welcome to practice Sword. Today we are studying James chapter five. And I just want to say this to you. Today. It's war in the heart and fire in the soul. So I want to encourage you today to get up off of your lazy. But I love you and do something for the Lord.

00:00:21:13 - 00:00:34:00
Unknown
You know, God called us to do this podcast and it's not easy. You know we would rather think about retirement. We're close to that age. And God said, spoke to us and said he wanted us to do this.

00:00:34:00 - 00:00:36:11
Unknown
We would rather be doing other things.

00:00:36:11 - 00:00:57:08
Unknown
But as we do this unto the Lord, you know the Lord, he does not waste anything. So today we are coming to you to speak to you and hopefully compel you to serve the Lord with all of your heart, all of your might. Okay, so let's pray and we'll dive right in to James chapter five. James chapter five.

00:00:57:08 - 00:01:17:15
Unknown
I gotta make sure we're on the right chapter. Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to serve you and to live in this era and just just carry the aroma of life. You no. Second Corinthians 216 says, we can make a choice to carry the aroma of death or the aroma of life.

00:01:17:16 - 00:01:42:10
Unknown
So, Lord, today we come into agreement that these listeners and us would be the aroma of life for you, Lord. Holy spirit, we need you as we always do. Help us to speak exactly what we need to speak to edify and glorify the Lord. Now, Lord, you know we can make mistakes and we're not perfect. We you know, your church is not a is not a perfect people.

00:01:42:10 - 00:02:08:04
Unknown
But Lord, we are a surrendered people. And when we're surrendered, there's nothing that you cannot do through us for your glory. So, Lord, we surrender all today. Have your way in this Bible study. God, let us edify you in every way. And Lord, if there's one watching or listening, that's that's broken. That's hurting the sick, diseased God. I pray healing in their body and I pray salvation in their soul.

00:02:08:04 - 00:02:30:03
Unknown
God, raise them up for your name's sake. Oh God, in the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. I think for we start, I think we need to introduce Allison. Yes. Yeah. We got a friend. My friend. Oh. She's wonderful. Her name is Allison, and she's lovely and beautiful and so young. Oh, she's so young. But she has four children.

00:02:30:03 - 00:02:51:21
Unknown
She's married to a wonderful man. And I cannot wait. Y'all, she is a walking, talking Bible. You're going to love her. And so get ready. You're going to just want to hear everything she has to say. So we are honored to have Allison with us today. Everybody put Allison in the comments so that she knows you love her, and she is willing to be here with us for the Lord today.

00:02:51:23 - 00:03:11:12
Unknown
How was that for introduction? That was great. Yay! Well, Allison, we're going to let you open it up. Allison went to all Roberts University, I did. It was longer than I would like to admit. I go several years, but I did, I did, and I'm so honored to be with you today. And just to be able to share and learn from you and with you.

00:03:11:12 - 00:03:38:07
Unknown
So let's go. Let's do it, let's do it, do it, let's do it. So today we're going to be looking at James five verses one through 20, the chapter James five. And we're going to be talking about faith that endures until the end. And the theme that we're going to see repeated here is that genuine faith doesn't merely begin well, it finishes well.

00:03:38:08 - 00:04:13:15
Unknown
Right. And if we're hearing having a real, honest, open conversation today, then can I just be real for a minute? Absolutely. Okay. James is a challenging book for me. It always has been. You know, at times in my life, it has felt like a measuring stick of a list of a list of to do items or challenges, wise phrases and sayings that it's can be a raw correction of sorts.

00:04:13:17 - 00:04:55:06
Unknown
But in watching the other episodes of practice, the word where we're talking about being doers of the word, I've really begun to see that James really serves as a mirror, and it's a mirror where we see ourselves. But it's also an invitation. An invitation for us to fix our eyes upon Jesus. And it's not a list of legalistic expectations, but it bridges the divide between legalism and relationship with Jesus.

00:04:55:06 - 00:05:18:19
Unknown
And James is really writing about himself in this, where he he was a hearer of the word, but he became a doer because he saw the love of Jesus and was transformed by it. So that's the hope, as we look at James, that we see this beautiful invitation to walk with the Lord and become doers of the word.

00:05:18:21 - 00:05:32:01
Unknown
That's so good, that's so good. And that role correction is real. Yes, it is, it's real. It is real. It's almost offensive. But we need it. We do. We need it.

00:05:32:03 - 00:05:38:22
Unknown
And that was a great summer. You know James began by telling us to count all the joy when we face trials.

00:05:38:22 - 00:05:58:13
Unknown
That's where he started, right? Right. And then he starts the challenging part of that, right? Yeah. He starts telling us to look in the mirror. We got a self examine. And it was we get in and we're setting this backdrop in chapter five. He's going to end us pretty much by telling us believers to endure until Christ returns.

00:05:58:14 - 00:06:18:17
Unknown
So between those two points we have our Christian life. So, you know, we're going to face trials and we're going to face it joyfully and we're going to endure it till the end. And I just wrote down some things that up until this point and including this chapter, and you're going to see it, that James just keeps repeatedly challenging us.

00:06:18:18 - 00:06:43:12
Unknown
He's just using duplicates here. And on one of it, don't just hear the word. We have to be doers of the word. What you just said, Allison, you know, don't show favoritism. That was a big thing he showed in those first two chapters. Control your tongue. Live wisely, resist pride and submit to God. And and James has an over in five chapters.

00:06:43:13 - 00:07:10:08
Unknown
I mean, I mean, he could have wrote a mean. This thing could have gone on for 400 pages. And he just, you know, and he concludes it. Will your faith endure? Right. That's how he's going to conclude it. Will our faith endure? That's right. You know, it's going to be a little different today. I'm hoping Joe can pull this up, but there was a.

00:07:10:10 - 00:07:47:08
Unknown
A pastor that Alan Pastor Alan Jackson had, this pastor from South Korea come to his church and speak, and his name is Pastor Son, and he has a son name, young son, and then another son named chance. So it's Pastor Alan Jackson, and it's Charlie Kirk's pastor, and it's pastor. Son and chance are on the pulpit, and Pastor Son has a huge church in South Korea.

00:07:47:08 - 00:08:19:09
Unknown
And South Korea is fighting for freedom right now because China is trying to take over and bring communism there. And so they have arrested this pastor so many times. And this last arrest, he was in prison for five months. Finally, finally, enough people rallied around and gathered around him and they freed him. But he is there speaking at Pastor Allan's church.

00:08:19:09 - 00:08:38:11
Unknown
I hope Joe can bring it up. And he's talking about every time they beat him, every time he was in the military. And he would not he would he would not work on Sundays. He would go to church on Sundays while all the other military people were working and doing their thing in the military. He said, no, I'm going to church.

00:08:38:11 - 00:09:07:20
Unknown
They beat him so bad. And finally you can you hear the whole story? But finally everybody in the military, everybody has commander, everybody got saved. He began to pray with them and everybody got. And then that commander made everybody go to church. And so but this pastor, son, the reason I bring this up because of what Brian just said, this pastor son, he said,

00:09:07:22 - 00:09:23:09
Unknown
When I asked the commander as a lowest rank who just got into the military, asked the commander, can I go to church and can I worship?

00:09:23:10 - 00:09:43:09
Unknown
And the commander said no. And I told him that our Constitution protects the law and protects the freedom. And why don't you allow me to?

00:09:43:11 - 00:09:55:09
Unknown
And even even though the commander said no, I still wanted to church.

00:09:55:11 - 00:10:10:16
Unknown
Everyone was training. Everyone was busy sweating. However, I just left the camp, left the base and went to the church.

00:10:10:18 - 00:10:19:04
Unknown
From that day on, every night someone tapped on my forehead and walk me up.

00:10:19:06 - 00:10:33:03
Unknown
And when I when I went outside, there was a senior soldiers that surrounded me.

00:10:33:05 - 00:10:53:04
Unknown
Every single one of them mocked, mocked me and said, you don't. Why? Why do you have to be such a problem and beat me 30, 30 to 40 times with the wood for each one of them?

00:10:53:06 - 00:11:03:04
Unknown
And they beat me every single day from then on. And the next Sunday, however, I still went to church. But.

00:11:03:06 - 00:11:08:13
Unknown
And I kept going and going, going every Sunday.

00:11:08:15 - 00:11:19:17
Unknown
And I asked him to to grant us the freedom to worship.

00:11:19:19 - 00:11:30:00
Unknown
And they said, there is no such thing in this regiment, so you should just train.

00:11:30:02 - 00:11:47:21
Unknown
And they the beating would not end. And there was no there is no night. There's a there wasn't a night that passed without without getting a beat.

00:11:47:23 - 00:12:07:19
Unknown
And for the, for, for the eight month long I was, I was beat so badly and there was no night that my underwear was bleeding because I got beat so much.

00:12:07:21 - 00:12:20:02
Unknown
And even the senior soldiers said, you will be able to worship God freely after you finish the service. So why don't you do that? Not right now.

00:12:20:04 - 00:12:31:02
Unknown
And however, I still going to go to church and they would mock me every time.

00:12:31:04 - 00:12:42:23
Unknown
One time they would ask me, Is God alive? And I reply, I answered, yes, God is alive.

00:12:43:01 - 00:12:55:12
Unknown
And they asked me again if they said, If God is alive. Let's see if God protects you from beating.

00:12:55:14 - 00:13:07:15
Unknown
David brought a gun, and they basically drove a muzzle of the gun into my neck and the blood poured out down my neck.

00:13:07:17 - 00:13:17:15
Unknown
They mocked me even more, saying, If God is alive, you should not be bleeding like that, right?

00:13:17:17 - 00:13:26:12
Unknown
And I was. I was sent to the hospital and even on the way to the hospital, I thanked God.

00:13:26:14 - 00:13:29:02
Unknown
I thank God for every persecution.

00:13:29:02 - 00:13:46:13
Unknown
I thank God for every trial. He said I would have a trial and I would they would beat me and I would just go to the church and I would say, thank you, Lord, for this persecution. Thank you God that they beat me. Thank you God that they did all these things to me. I thank God because that means I'm living for the Lord.

00:13:46:15 - 00:14:13:02
Unknown
I don't know any American that would do that. I don't know about you, but I don't know any American that would thank God for persecution. And that is what basically what James is saying here is that we need to thank God. We need to marvel in the goodness of God, even in persecution. Right? You know, the church today is really they're looking for blessings, but they're not looking for holiness.

00:14:13:02 - 00:14:32:06
Unknown
And that is what James here is basically saying. Right. And, you know, in the backdrop of that to, you know, one of the things I'm gonna skip just a little bit ahead here in in the backdrop, but I did I did make a note about Elijah. You know, James talks about a lot. And he said Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.

00:14:32:07 - 00:14:53:20
Unknown
Yes. Now, to a first century Jew, that's going to shock them because they looked at Elijah like Superman. That was he was very superhuman to them. But James says, no, he struggled like you and I, and he did right. And yet God used it right? Right. So that that's an important thing. And you see what that pastor is going through in South Korea.

00:14:53:20 - 00:15:21:04
Unknown
And you know, that that enduring right, that that endurance, they endurance and the perseverance. That's right. The perseverance of that. And I and I watched that interview with you and how he was just on to Christ will return. Rice will return. Right. And it reminds me of my first point of this backdrop in chapter five, that that James keeps mentioning Christ's return.

00:15:21:04 - 00:15:41:11
Unknown
In fact, we're not going to read it right now because we're getting ready to get it to it. But three back to back verses seven, eight, nine all mentioned Christ's return. So James is now harping on. Yes. So now you're starting to see what is happening. This is the one of the strongest New Testament chapters about patiently waiting for Christ, right?

00:15:41:12 - 00:16:00:21
Unknown
That's right. Right. And I mean, we've we've got at the door, he says. Right. The judge is at the door and and there was a comment that was actually had a couple of comments on social media that was, that was not very favorable. My examples of the Old Testament in this study. But we have to remember kidding.

00:16:00:21 - 00:16:22:14
Unknown
They weren't I can't imagine. Not at all. But we have to remember that the Old Testament is another backdrop, one of the coming of Christ. Right? Right. And two historical. And it's still relevant to us, right? You can say it's dead and you can say it's an old context, but we can have we can have a discussion about that.

00:16:22:14 - 00:16:48:11
Unknown
But, you know, James uses the Old Testament examples more than you use the New Testament. Now, one is we're going to take that in context. Why he's doing that. He's in Jerusalem, most likely he's in Jerusalem starting the Church of Jerusalem. But, you know, he uses references of the prophets, Job and Elijah quite often. So James assumes his Jewish readers, the people that he is speaking to.

00:16:48:14 - 00:16:54:22
Unknown
Yes, are very familiar with these people. So, yeah.

00:16:55:00 - 00:17:29:12
Unknown
And I think there's one other thing I'd like to add to that backdrop before we get into reading that, you know something we had a very long discussion of on the first episode. You know, James begins with wealthy oppressors and ends with rescuing wandering believers, right? That is that is a beautiful. Symmetry to me, because what it's doing is he starts out rich unbelievers who are spiritually dead, and he ends it with bringing wandering believers back to life.

00:17:29:12 - 00:17:52:23
Unknown
And the gospel always moves towards what we talked about restoration. Right. And that that's where he's going, right? He's pointing out an issue and he's giving you a solution that two points, that two plus two equals four that were used in a couple of episodes that James is so good at doing. So we can get right into the chapter and let's I'll go ahead and let Allison read that.

00:17:52:23 - 00:18:21:19
Unknown
I think let's start with verses one through six. Allison, I think good one James five, verses one through six. Now listen, you rich people weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and moths have eaten your clothes, your gold and silver or corroded their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire.

00:18:21:21 - 00:18:53:06
Unknown
You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look, the wages you failed to pay. The workers who mode your fields fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one who was not opposing you.

00:18:53:08 - 00:19:17:00
Unknown
Well, I mean, that's that's pretty strong. I mean, that's stronger than used in chapter one. So what is he doing here? He's warning the rich oppressors. Yes, but. But let's not confuse it that he is not condemning wealth, right? Right. Because, I mean, let's just face it. The scripture contains many wealth. Wealthy believers. They. That was Abraham, job, David, Joseph, Lydia.

00:19:17:01 - 00:19:41:06
Unknown
All of those were wealthy people. Yes. So James is a tool, but it can be a horrible master if you allow it to be. Wow, that's good, that's good. You know, James condemns people whose wealth become their god, right. And we were talking about that. It is not about possessions. It's about when the possessions possess you. Right. Well, industrial industriousness was celebrated when we talk about people like Lydia.

00:19:41:06 - 00:20:02:09
Unknown
But but when it's it's where you put your trust and your faith. That's the problem. Right? Right. And what are three sins that he's really pointing out here is one is hoarding. Yes. Right. Like hoarding, like you have laid up treasure in the last days. And what could that be? Imagine storing up food when your neighbors are starving right now.

00:20:02:09 - 00:20:27:22
Unknown
That is something he's bringing to light. Exploitation was another one. Workers weren't paid. You know, under Jewish law, especially in the first century, second century, you know, they were paid daily. This was something that is like, you know, Americanized European eyes where you get paid weekly, bi weekly, monthly. They were paid every day for their wages because life was so real, right, that it was a needed daily.

00:20:27:22 - 00:20:47:11
Unknown
saying, everything you give to God will live to ever live forever. But everything you possess today, somebody else will own it one day. That's right. And what he's referring to, he's going back to the New Testament. We're going to look at Leviticus real quick, and then we're gonna go to the Deuteronomy and Leviticus 1913.

00:20:47:12 - 00:20:49:00
Unknown
If you got it pulled up.

00:20:49:02 - 00:20:55:11
Unknown
we go. Leviticus 1913. Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

00:20:55:13 - 00:21:15:03
Unknown
Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. Wow. And he also. I'm not gonna have you read this one. Put you on the spot. But Deuteronomy chapter 24, 14 and 15 also refers to the same thing. And this is where James is getting this from. So James is saying they're withheld wages are crying out to God.

00:21:15:04 - 00:21:39:08
Unknown
Yeah. Right. Right. So exploitation. Yeah. What about self-indulgence is the other sin that he's mentioning hearing, you know, you have lived on the earth and luxury is one of the, is one of the verses there. Instead of blessing others, they only bless themselves. Right. So there, there's a definite. James is definitely starting to point a finger right now.

00:21:39:08 - 00:21:56:07
Unknown
He's getting hard. He's closing. This is not going to be a soft altar call here. Right. If this was a sermon, it's going to be a tough one. So we're going to cross reference back into Matthew. What y'all know I like to do my triangle. So because Book of James is about that it goes from the Old Testament back to Matthew.

00:21:56:07 - 00:22:30:07
Unknown
And that's Matthew chapter six verses 19 through 21. And when you hear Alison read this, listen to what he's saying. And doesn't this sound remarkably like Jesus? I mean, this is what he just said in James chapter five, what she just read. And I read Matthew 619 through 21, Matthew 619 through 21. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

00:22:30:09 - 00:22:51:15
Unknown
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths inversions do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Yeah. Wow, that's pretty cool. So basically what he's saying is money is an incredible servant. But it's a terrible master, right? Right. It's a tool. That's right.

00:22:51:16 - 00:23:12:12
Unknown
It's a terrible master, and it needs to be put into his right place. You know, a lot of people misquote that scripture money is the root of all evil, but that they leave out that one word. Love is the love of money is the root of all evil. The love of money. That's good. Let's move on to verses 7 to 11 in James.

00:23:12:14 - 00:23:41:01
Unknown
James 573 1111 be patient, then, brothers, and till the Lord's coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil, how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. You to be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near. Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged.

00:23:41:06 - 00:24:06:19
Unknown
Look, the judge is standing at the door. Brothers, as an example of patience and affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of jobs, perseverance, and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Oh that's good.

00:24:06:20 - 00:24:29:20
Unknown
So what does James just done? He's changed his audience. Yes. I mean, he's just switched it right on up on us. So now he's speaking to suffering believers. Yeah. What we said was part of his backdrop. And notice his command isn't fight, right? Retaliate. Get revenge instead is be patient. Right? Right. I remember a scene in The Chosen where?

00:24:29:22 - 00:24:52:23
Unknown
And I thought it was. I thought the producer did a great job of this because Peter thought they were going to fight a war. That's what he thought. They were going to go fight a war with the occupied the occupiers of Israel. Jerusalem. And he wasn't. And and and James is reverberating this right now. And his his thing is we're not it's not to fight.

00:24:52:23 - 00:25:15:16
Unknown
It's not retaliate. It's not to get revenge. We're going to be patient in this thing. Right? And if you're a farmer, right. That's right. And that's that's a good point. You know, in the Greek word for patient here, if you go look at the the translation is long tempered. Yeah. Long fuze slow to anger. That's where we get slow to anger is from this verse.

00:25:15:17 - 00:25:30:15
Unknown
You know God never wastes the waiting. And he in waiting develops faith and waiting builds character. Waiting builds integrity. There's a lot of refining and waiting. Yeah,

00:25:30:17 - 00:25:34:16
Unknown
well, I like you. I like when you. The illustration of the farmer.

00:25:34:20 - 00:25:53:10
Unknown
it's just it's amazing because farmers cannot rush a harvest, right? What do they have to be? Right. What you just say. And something else to that was then. And we still have farmers today. Sure. So. And he knew that like, you know, the Lord knew that as as you know, James was speaking because obviously the Lord was speaking through him.

00:25:53:10 - 00:26:14:10
Unknown
But waiting also destroy his pride, you know. Isaiah 4031 says, those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. So I'm wondering if those who do not wait on the Lord do their strength get renewed? Apparently not, because it says those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. So it makes you really wonder if we don't wait.

00:26:14:11 - 00:26:38:18
Unknown
We're not renewed. Well, is there patient involved, patience involved in that? So farmers cannot rush the harvest, right? Rain must fall, right? A lot of things are having to happen here, right? Right. Seeds must grow. Time is required. So what James is basically saying is like. Why God grows believers. What? Over time? It's not overnight. Thing is, there's growth involved, right?

00:26:38:20 - 00:27:05:16
Unknown
And there. And what do we talk about? The invisible with obedience becomes visible. Talking about the fruit. Right. What you're producing. Right. So and I think in, in the same kind just so we make it relative because you brought up Isaiah, I think it's again back in the Matthew when you go into Matthew chapter 13, what did Jesus say though the kingdom often grows slowly before harvest.

00:27:05:17 - 00:27:30:02
Unknown
Yes, that's what he says. And I encourage everybody to go read Matthew chapter 13, because again, it just gives you the indication, you know, James has has been an observer of what Jesus is saying, if not an observer. He's been a very stout listener. Absolutely to especially what Matthew has been writing. Yes. And not obviously at the time.

00:27:30:02 - 00:27:51:16
Unknown
But what is being said? What is Jesus speaking? What is the out doing? We don't we don't like to wait. You know, we are impatient people, you know, and and in that, I think sometimes we think we're waiting whatever we're praying for, we're waiting. But it's not necessarily God's saying no. He's saying, I'm preparing you for what you're praying for.

00:27:51:16 - 00:28:13:15
Unknown
For example, you know, Jesus told a disciple like, I go to prepare a place for you. Meaning, you know, if he's going to prepare a place for us that was going to take some time, that wasn't going to be instant. So if Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you. There's a waiting there that means we can't go right now because he's preparing a place.

00:28:13:15 - 00:28:35:20
Unknown
So if we have to wait for that, surely when we have to wait for other things from the Lord, right? And, you know, he brought in in waiting is a hard thing to do. So we know that life teaches us that. But you know, the example he's using to especially during that time and it's still that same. Well, you've been to Israel.

00:28:35:21 - 00:29:03:12
Unknown
You know how dry it is in Israel. I mean, they're in a perpetual drought all the time, right? So but James brings up two rains, right? He's talking about the early rain which prepared the soil. Right. This is well known. And the late rain, which right? The grain. And without both. If you had just the late rain and not the early or the early without the the latter ladder, you're not getting a harvest, right.

00:29:03:13 - 00:29:27:09
Unknown
So it takes both. Yes. And you know, the readers understand what he's saying here. It's a modern day example, right. It's so so it's a definitely a contextual thing, but it's still plays into our lives today. Yes. We have to be patient. Absolutely. We have to. We know the harvest is a long game. Yes. Especially our harvest. Right.

00:29:27:09 - 00:29:30:07
Unknown
And what we're we're right what Jesus is planning.