James 5:7-12

James 5:7-12
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 It's easy to forget that the Lord will return.  It's been a few thousand years, and so we just assume that our plans and lives will go forward without interruption.  Actively waiting and serving Christ slides down the priority list as things that seem more urgent cry for our attention.  As our attention becomes divided, we forget about Christ's call more easily, and soon we realize how far we've unintentionally drifted from our desired course.
  So James calls us to endure, to stay faithful, to remain focused on Christ, waiting and serving patiently until he returns.  Each day we tend to the seed the Holy Spirit has planted within us, watering and caring for it with faithfulness to the task.  A farmer doesn't see instant results from one day -- instead, a yield is derived from the work of many consecutive days.
  Let us remain faithful, day after day, always remembering that we are blessed from above with grace upon grace.