The Sweetness of Patience (Daily Refresh, 12-14-25)

Have you ever plucked fruit prematurely?

Perhaps you were allured by its vibrant color and sweet scent moving through the air. But when you took the first bite, you realized it lacked the ripeness you anticipated. Everything seemed right at first glance, but there was one missing ingredient…

Time.

Even the simple act of picking fruit can teach us about time and patience:

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You, too, be patient and stand firm because the Lord’s coming is near.”
James 5:7-8

The author, James, penned these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to a community of new Jewish converts to Christianity, dispersed throughout various regions. These early Christians faced many trials, including persecution and opposition, because of their newfound faith. James’ call to wait patiently and endure was more than mere words on a page; they were a lifeline of hope and encouragement in the midst of adversity.

And just as those early believers confronted trials, we, too, will encounter challenges and suffering in our Christian journey. And, just like those early believers, you can choose patience—allowing the fruit of the Spirit to ripen within you, no matter the season of life. And when you do, your character will mature, your faith will deepen, and your relationship with God will become sweeter than you could imagine. Patience always bears the fruit of perseverance and strength, even today and even for you!

My Thoughts

I wish that I could say that I am a patient waiter, but I am not. I have a clock ticking in my brain that is always telling me to get things done on some kind of invisible timetable that demands that I keep moving and doing. I think my actions often keep me from meditating, pondering and just being still to see what God wants me to do and what fruit He is growing in me. I want to have ripe fruit so that others will see and want what I have. That takes patience and God is working on that in me. I am not a fast-food junkie who wants what I want when I want it, but somehow I want God to move more quickly to change me into someone better, more like Him in an instant. It doesn’t happen that way, and in my fifty plus years of experience with God, it never has. And yet for some reason, I expect change to be instant because the slow change is painful. But I have learned and I am learning that it is in the pain that I grow. Instantaneous change will never produce good fruit in me, if it produces any fruit at all. God, who knows me best and loves me best, knows that, too, so He patiently cares for me, waiting for me to turn to Him for the needed change so that the fruit will blossom and become all He means for it to be. I am thankful that God continues to be patient with me so that I can learn every day to lean into Him.