James 5:10-11‏

10. "[As] an example of suffering and ill-treatment together with patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord [as His messengers]."

As we experience the struggles of life and grow with Christ in "patience"... James suggests we consider those whom have gone before us in the faith. He reminds us that the prophets of the Old Testament endured hardship, yet practiced patient endurance. We really can think about them as examples of people obeying God against the ridicule and mistreatment from the world around them. Jeremiah stands out as someone who endured mistreatment with patience. He was put in the stocks (Jeremiah 20:2), thrown into prison (Jeremiah 32:2), and lowered into a miry dungeon (Jeremiah 28:6), yet he persisted in his ministry. We may consider the lives of the apostles, themselves, to. We are not alone in our faith.

11. "You know how we call those blessed (happy) who were steadfast [who endured]. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the Lord's [purpose and how He richly blessed him in the] end, inasmuch as the Lord is full of pity and compassion and tenderness and mercy."

I hope you have heard of the endurance of Job... We are reminded of Job as an example of patient endurance. Though he was not an example of "perfect" patience... he "was" a perfect example of one dealing and growing in patience. His story shows both the necessity of a constant trust through times of calamity, and God’s compassionate and merciful relationship. Through our times of trial, the compassion and mercy of God may seem far away, examples like Job encourage us to press ahead in the same faith.

Let's pick up with James verse 5:12 next time.

I love you.