“DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL JUST YET!” Galatians  5: 22 / James 5: 7-11

1.  Someone has said, “You can do anything if you have patience.  You can carry water in a sieve, if you wait until it freezes!”

2.  Henry Ford said, “Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears!” 

3.  In James 5, we find the same advice given to us as believers.  In layman terms James is admonishing us to be patient.  We are to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, which is ‘longsuffering.’  We are to be long-tempered rather than short tempered.  And, he exhorts us not to throw in the towel just yet. 

I.  THE TASK THAT FINDS A PATIENT HEART! verse 7

A.  It Is Seen As A Matter of Waiting!---Verse 7. 

1.  The Palestinian farmer sowed seed on ground that received no rain at all during much of the year.

2.  In Palestine, there were two rainy periods for which he waited, the early and the latter rain.  The “early rain” started in October or November.  Unless that rain came, the farmer could not plow; and the seed would not germinate.

3.  The “latter rain” fell in March or April.  It was this rain that matured and ripened the crop.  Unless those rains came, the crop would be stunted, or even nonexistent.

4.  James describes our times of waiting in such a way.  Many times, we are required to wait.  Once we have done all that we can do in a  situation, the rest lies out of our control, and like the farmer in anticipation of the rains, we too must wait. 

B.  It Is Shown By A Method Of Working!—James 1:3,4

1.  Many simply wait, and do nothing while they are waiting. Waiting is not a matter of laziness; it is always shown by a method of labor.  It involves working.

2.  That is the task of patience.  It is active.  It is involved.  It is busy.  It is working.  It is working a perfect work to mature, develop, and enhance our spiritual life.

3.  The idea James has in mind involves waiting, yet being active, and working while we are waiting.

II.  THE TROUBLE THAT FORMS A PATIENT HEART!--One of the ways, in which, patience does its work is through difficulties and trouble. 

A.  The People We Are To Embrace!--verse 9. 

1.  The truth of the matter is that there are many people that we cannot enjoy, we must endure.  We must be patient with people, and embrace them.

2.  The word “grudge,” in verse 9 literally means “to complain, to murmur, or begrudge.”  It describes a feeling of ill will toward another party.

3.  The word “longsuffering,” is a word used to refer not to events or happenings, but people.  It referred to one who had the power to crush by retaliation, but refused to do so.

B.  The Problems We Are To Endure!--verse 10.

1.  James is admonishing us to trace our lives over the lives of these prophets.  They embraced difficult people, and they endured difficult problems for patience and longsuffering.

2.  In verse 11, James uses possibly the most vivid illustration of one who endured countless problems, a man by the name of Job. If one ever had a reason to throw in the towel, it was Job.  Here is a man who, in one day, lost his fields, his flocks, his finances, his friends, his feeling (physical), and his family.  He certainly had reason to just roll over and die However, Job’s patience, and confidence in the Lord is manifested in Job 19: 25,You see problems are not meant to defeat us, depress us, or discourage us.  They are meant to develop us.  Problems are not tools to tear us down, they are tests to build us up.  God is forming a patient heart within us. 

III.  THE TRUTH THAT FLOODS A PATIENT HEART! verses 7-8. 

A.  He Speaks Of An Earthly Reward!

1.  There is an interesting phrase James uses in verse 7 to speak of the earthly reward of patience,

2.  James implies that there is an earthly pay-off and reward to one being patient, though they must embrace difficult people, and endure difficult problems. 

3.  Everything God does has a purpose.  And, the purpose of Him allowing us to endure times of hardness is not only to produce patience, but to bring about an earthly reward.

B.  He Speaks Of A Heavenly Return!

1.  The main motivation for us to ‘keep on, keeping on’ is the fact that we are not going to have to do it forever.  Our Lord is returning. 

2.  Thank God, some glad morning, He shall appear.  He will resolve everything in Himself. He will take care of all the unanswered questions of this life.  It will be worth it all when we see Him.