Main Text: James 5:7-10 (Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11)
Remembering that everything is according to the Spirit, is also to remember that God does not follow our plan or timeline. In this culture of immediate gratification, we are all about getting what we want when we want it. Advent is a season that reminds us to be patient. If you get what you want, you will miss out on so much more that God has planned for you. Isaiah reminds us that we may look at a desert and think of it as desolate, but God can turn anything into fertile and fruitful possibility. John the Baptist was losing hope that Jesus was the one, so he sent his disciples to inquire of him. Jesus did not get upset with John’s request, he simply sent them back to tell John what they see and hear. His patient planting has paid off and the fullness of God is present. James instructs us that we also must be patient as we look for the fullness of God’s time and plan. So wake up, bathe in God’s baptismal grace, put on the armor of ligh and be patient as God fulfills all things according to the Spirit.