Steadfast

Journey through James: 5:10-12

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. — James 5:10-12

I had the privilege of going on an Honor Flight with my dad last month. If you are not familiar with Honor Flights, they are flights out to Washington D.C. that honor and celebrate veterans. Many of our veterans served without honor or celebration, yet they served faithfully. Many of the veterans on our flight served during Vietnam; not only did they not receive honor, many of them received ridicule and shame. When we got off the plane in Washington D.C., there were crowds of people cheering for the veterans, waving flags, holding signs, and singing. It was an amazing experience to see these men and women honored for their service - something many of them never experienced before. While we were out in D.C. we visited many of the monuments and tributes to the men and women who gave their lives to serve our country. 

These experiences came to mind as I reflected on these verses in James about patience. James calls us to remember the prophets. These men served God even though they rarely, if ever, received honor from men. These men were held in high regard because they remained faithful and steadfast even in the face of persecution and hardship. We hold in high regard those who remain steadfast in the midst of trial. Washington D.C. is full of monuments to men and women who remained steadfast in the midst of battle. There were no monuments to people who fled when the going got tough. There were no monuments to people who gave up halfway through a battle. We honor those who stay the course. Many of the men and women who served our country felt like giving up, just like you and I can feel overwhelmed as we seek to follow God’s leading in our lives. Yet, many men and women have gone before us who remained steadfast. James gives us one final example of patience: Job. Job was a man who served God faithfully and yet lost everything in a few short moments. Job did not give up or curse God. He remained faithful to what he knew to be true. He did not understand why all of this had happened, and he struggled with self-righteousness, but he did not turn away from God. God graciously humbled and restored Job. We can clearly see the purpose of the Lord throughout Job’s life as we get to read the whole story. We know that the Lord never forsook Job and that He had a plan and purpose for Job throughout all that took place. Job, on the other hand, lived through all of this without having all the behind-the-scenes information. It is always easier to see God at work through someone else’s hardship than it is to see Him at work in our own. However, we have multiple examples of men and women in the Bible who remained steadfast and patient. As God worked in and through their hardships, He is at work in our lives. Patience is not an easy virtue to learn. However, there is great honor from the Lord for those who remain steadfast. Whatever you may be going through, take comfort in the fact the Lord is at work. 

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.— Hebrews 11:13-16