How to Get Through Difficult Times
James 5:7-12
What do you do when you are going through a difficult time? Is there certain music you listen to? Certain foods you eat? Certain people you talk to? Certain movies you watch? It seems like at our house when we’re going through a difficult time with sickness, we will eventually break out the movie Elf with Will Farrell. It doesn’t matter if it is in the middle of June, there’s something about that movie that is therapeutic. Perhaps it is the raccoon that buddy tries to hug, or maybe the impromptu singing telegram. Is there a way the world will tell you how to deal with difficult situations?
In this life there is always two ways of doing something—the worldly way, and the godly way. We’ve discussed before how the ruler of this world is Satan and he is diabolically opposed to God in every area. So it seems reasonable that we should discuss ways to get through a difficult time in our lives and see if it is how God would want us to get through it, or if it is just another one of Satan’s ploys to destroy us.
How many of you have ever seen the process of a caterpillar making a cocoon, and then becoming a butterfly? How many of you have ever seen a butterfly emerge from a cocoon live, and in person? That butterfly really struggles to get out of that cocoon. Remember the cocoon was built to fit snugly around a chubby little worm. A butterfly is much larger and has tremendously delicate wings. Our natural instinct while watching a butterfly emerge is to try and help it by pulling the cocoon off with our fingers, or cutting it back with some scissors. Do you know what would happen if we did that? The butterfly struggling, and squeezing its way out of the cocoon is actually forcing fluids out of one area of the wings and spreading it throughout the rest of the wings. If the struggling process didn’t occur the wings would be too heavy for the butterfly to lift, and it would walk around dragging its wings until it eventually died.
When we are going through a difficult time in our lives and we try to shorten it, or numb the pain with drugs, sex, alcohol, or whatever solution the world offers us, we are really doing ourselves more damage than good. Just like the butterfly, God has a reason for our struggles, and He has a plan for us to get through it.
Last week I discovered I had skipped a section so I had to go back and cover it. So if you remember from two weeks ago we talked about how James condemned those who oppressed the poor. Today’s section piggy backs that last section and comforts those who are being oppressed by giving them a plan to get through persecution. We have to remember that the book of James was written to Jews who had accepted Christ as their savior and because of that would have been disowned by their unbelieving family, kicked out of their synagogues (which would be like getting kicked out of your church), fired from their jobs, and lost all of their friends. They were feeling the heat of persecution.
Today’s passage is James 5:7-12, “Therefore be patient, brethren, 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. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.[a] Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.”
One of the reasons I like the book of James so much is because it is very practical. Here in this passage we have James offering six different ways to deal with the persecution in just five verses (7-11).
1) Be Patient—until the coming of the Lord.
Many times we fall into the trap of believing that how it is right now is how it will always be. It doesn’t really matter what the circumstances are, they’re pretty much interchangeable. New parents believe they will be changing diapers forever. Frustrated parents dealing with toddlers cannot foresee a day when they don’t have to force feed their children and clean up food all over the place after each meal. Someone working in a dead end job cannot foresee ever having a satisfying job. Students have been in school almost their entire lives, and feel like they will be in school the rest of their lives, too. Cleveland Browns fans cannot imagine a day when their team will be relevant again. There are a million different examples we could use, but the fact remains the same, there will be a day when Jesus will return to earth and right every wrong. He promised to do so, and we know He keeps His word. BTW, one out of every thirteen verses in the New Testament refers to the second coming of Christ. If it is mentioned that often, I would assume that He means to keep His promise.
So if we are going through a rough time we should remember that Jesus is coming back, and we just have to wait patiently for that to happen. It could be anytime now. Do you know what has to happen for Christ to return? Nothing. The next item on God’s to do list is to return.
It’s also interesting to note that a persecuted church waits with greater expectancy and anticipation for the second coming than does the affluent church. It’s not hard to figure out why. Let’s imagine you are in a secret church in China. For the last six months there has been a mole in your little home church, and now the Chinese government is systematically tracking down your leaders and executing them. If one of them breaks and tells them your name, or if the mole knows about you, you will be killed next. Now picture yourself in a very wealthy suburb in America. Your church doesn’t meet secretly in someone’s home, you meet in a multi-million dollar building with 100’s of thousands of dollars worth of cars parked in the parking lot, and then go home to 100’s of millions of dollars worth of houses. You have a high paying job, live in a fancy house with a heated pool, and you’re a member of a fitness club. Which of these two scenarios would you imagine is praying for Christ’s return to be extremely imminent?
James then gives an example of waiting patiently. He uses the illustration of a farmer. A farmer in Israel would plant his crops in the late fall—October or November. At this time there would be a rainy season that James calls the early rains, then there would be a period of normal off and on rain, and finally what James calls the latter rain which would have been around March or April. Now imagine you were a small farmer. You planted your crops having faith that they would grow. You worked the soil, and waited patiently. As the months wore on, you began eating the last of your food and may have had a few nights of prayer and fasting as you waited for the crops to be harvested. James’ point—you also be patient as the farmer was patient.
2) The judgment is coming
When Christ returns we anticipate that He will make all things right, but verse 9 says that judgment is coming, too. We want to make sure that as we’re going through persecution that we keep a proper perspective, otherwise we will fall into a period of frustration and anger. Have you ever been frustrated and mad about one thing and took it out on everyone and everything else? You have a bad day at school and you are short with your friends, your parents, and anyone else you come into contact with. You don’t even have to say anything—it’s your general disposition that makes everyone else miserable. The Bible calls this murmuring, and it’s one of the reasons the Israelites took a forty year walk in the wilderness.
Back when I was a kid, it was not against the rules for a teacher to leave their classroom. In fact it was quite common, because they may have had to go to the office to get copies made. When that happened we knew we had a few minutes to do things we wouldn’t be allowed to do when she was there. Occasionally, the teacher came back when we weren’t expecting her and I would get in trouble. We don’t know when Jesus will return, so we should behave as if his return was imminent. This will keep our hopes up, and our butts out of trouble.
3) Follow the Servants
James was speaking to people living in the New Testament times and used Old Testament saints and prophets as an example of people who endured persecution. Today we have the advantage of using OT, NT, and saints throughout history as our examples. Jesus said in John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” He endured persecution. Who else endured persecution in the OT? David endured the harsh treatment by King Saul. Moses endured the rebellion and complaining of the entire Israel nation. Elijah was hounded by Ahab and the evil queen Jezebel, and eventually was sawed in half with a wooden saw. God told the prophet Ezekiel that he was going to use his wife as an illustration. The illustration was that God suffered the loss of his loved one, Israel. Ezekiel would suffer the loss of his loved one as his wife died on the spot. The prophet Jeremiah suffered wrongs repeatedly and yet said, “Why should any living mortal or any man offer complaint in view of his sins?" He suffered. He endured.
4) Blessed are the Persecuted
Verse 11 says “we count them blessed who endure.” It does not say, “we count them blessed who inherit a fortune.” Or “we count them blessed who spill coffee on their crotch and sue for millions.” Or “we count them blessed who win the lottery.” Today we confuse what a real blessing is. If you want to blessed you will have to endure. And if you’re already enduring, you might as well endure to the end and get a blessing for it. I remember a pastor told me when I was going through a difficult time in my life, “Take the high road in everything you do and you will be blessed.” I did and I am.
5) The Ends Justifies the Means
Just like the butterfly squeezing out of the cocoon, the struggle was hard but the end result justified what had to happen to get there. Verse 11 says, “You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” If you were Job, you would have gone from very wealthy, healthy, and had a large family in the morning to being very poor, almost all of your servants were dead, all of your children were dead, you were disease ridden, all of your friends piled on and insulted you, and your wife suggested that you curse God and die by afternoon. Compassionate and merciful probably wouldn’t be the two words you would use at the time. BUT, Job saw the end that God had in mind and did not forsake God through the entire ordeal. In the end, Job had ten more children, and all of his property was doubled from what it was before. The truth is you never see God as clearly during the good times as you do during the bad times.
6) God’s Character
It’s always a good idea before you come to a conclusion about anything to take in the whole scope of the situation. Maybe your best friend was rude to you. Does one rude act wipe out 10 years of faithful friendship? Or do you consider every good thing about that person before you come to a conclusion? God might be putting you through a trial but does that mean that He doesn’t care about you anymore? Does that mean you’ve lost your salvation? Does that mean that He is no longer trustworthy or faithful? No, Romans 8:28 says that God works out all things for those who love Him and are called to His purpose. God is still merciful and compassionate. He has eternity past of history of Him never letting anyone down. We can trust Him.
Can you trust him with your soul?
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