Yield for Yield

“Be patient…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. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! …As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy…Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will condemned.” James 5:7-12.

I love the beauty of rose bushes and have a few of my own. In the early spring, when I first see a red bud peeking out of the tightly attached stem leaves surrounding the rose, I am tempted to prematurely pick the rose. I certainly have been impatient before and plucked them off the top of the stem only to abort the growth process and stunt its beauty. I soon realized that whenever I would collect the yield before the matured growth, I always got a disappointing version of the beautiful rose. It would never fully open and the potential of its beauty was never fulfilled.

Waiting is one of the most difficult things in life. Whether we are waiting on something specific or a resolution to a situation, everyone generally hates to wait for anything. James was speaking specifically in our passage above about the second coming of Christ but I think his words can certainly be applied to our own struggles.

Waiting to yield our valuable crop…what does this look like? Is it the person waiting for their life partner with no person in sight? Is it that couple who has planned for years to welcome a little one into their family with no success? Could it be the business owner who, after several years, is still waiting for financial profit? Waiting is both critical and necessary in all circumstances for it builds certain traits required as we move towards the image of Christ. The Lord knows the yield for which each of us anticipates. He is well aware of the time required to fulfill our desires and what must occur to bring about His will for our lives. When we hear His yes, we must thank Him for the answer and courageously move forward in Him. When we hear His no, we must thank Him for the wisdom He obviously used in the decision, sitting on our situation until we hear His yes. Many times, His no in the present is His yes in the future. But if we move ahead of Him, ahead of the autumn and spring rains, we threaten the very outcome of our desire.

We must stand firm on His will, His wisdom and His timing. When we yield our determinations, calculations and manipulations in any given situation, He will produce a yield of valuable crops in our lives that will display our full potential of beauty and blessings.

The way to receive our yield from Him is to yield our circumstances to Him.