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Dear Friends in Christ:
I want us to take a look at James chapter five this
month. Verses seven and eight read as follows, “Therefore
be patient, brethern, until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the
earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the
early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish
your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand”.
James reveals to us the heart of God. His heart is fixed
and firm, just like a farmer who is awaiting his harvest.
He knows it is coming and is fully confident of this
so he waits with great expectation not wavering at all.
Then he tells us to follow this example and to be likewise
patient and to establish our hearts because the coming
of the Lord approaches.
What is an established heart? What does this mean?
How do we get that way? These are some questions for
us to explore this month. First of all, Psalm 112 gives
us an example of an established heart. Verses 6-8 show
us the characteristics of an established heart. It is
one that will not be shaken, not afraid of evil tidings,
steadfast and trusting in the Lord. That’s what
we want, to be steadfast and stable in our Christian
life. How do we get that way? Verse one of this same
Psalm gives us a clue. It says that this man has an
established heart because he fears the Lord and delights
greatly in his commandments. In other words he has learned
to put God’s Word first place in his life and
the result is an established heart, one that is fixed
and firm, not moved by contrary circumstances.
Psalm chapter one and verses 1-3 give us a little more
insight into this. “Blessed is the man who walks
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the
path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his
law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its
fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither;
and whatever he does shall prosper”.
We see here that the ones who meditate in the Word
day and night are compared to trees that are planted
by rivers of water. This speaks of people who have become
rooted and grounded in the truth by continual attention
to the Scriptures. Their hearts have become established
just like a tree which has put down deep roots that
make it strong and enduring. Why? Because the only thing
that can establish our hearts is the Word of God because
it is the only thing that we have that is eternal and
unchanging (Psalm 119:89, Matthew 24:35, 1 Peter 1:23).
This is so vital because if we fail to establish our
hearts then we will miss out on the fruit that is destined
for our lives. Notice that Psalm one says that we can
bring forth fruit in its season. Unless we establish
our hearts with study, confession, and meditating on
God’s Word we can very easily lose focus, become
distracted, and not reach the seasons in our lives that
will produce the fruit that God is planning for us.
Becoming established will help give you staying power
and help you to remain steady until your season shows
up. Galatians 6:9 teaches us that we will reap in due
season if we do not faint or lose heart.
James chapter five is very clear. He tells us what
God is doing. God is being patient, which means constant
and steadfast, until He receives the harvest that He
is expecting. Then he tells us to do the same. Be patient,
don’t quit, stay in the race, remain consistent
in your faith because the plan of God is coming to fruition
and we don’t want to miss it.
For His Name,
John Merola
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