**Daily Devotional** **December 4** *7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. - James 5:7-8 (KJV)* We are told to be patient for the coming of Jesus, just as a farmer waits patiently for his crop to mature, so he will have an abundant crop to harvest. This is why God is waiting patiently for the church to mature, so He can reap a large harvest of saints in the end times, when Jesus does return (Revelation 14:12). James has been teaching on patience, and tells us that we need to let patience make us perfect, and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:4). Patience is not common in this present world, as it seems that most everyone is rushing through life at a breakneck pace, and they don’t want to wait for anything. God says that we should be still, and know that He is God (Psalms 46:10), so we need to slow down and take the time to know God, and I mean really know Him, as our Father. We need to patiently establish our heart to the things of God, as if our heart is not prepared properly, we will slip into sin (2 Chronicles 12:14), and that is not good. To prepare our heart properly, we need to renew our minds with the word of God (Romans 12:2), and become disciples indeed (John 8:31), so that we keep our hearts tuned to the things of God. It is not enough to just get born again then expect to go to heaven without doing anything else. As James taught, faith without works (of faith) is dead (James 2:17), and if you are truly born again, you will show it in your life, and bear fruit to God. If you never exhibit any fruit of being saved, you should doubt your salvation, and truly get born again, as your life will show fruit if you have Jesus in you. Praise God for Jesus. Devotional by Pastor Joe W. Green, www.infinite-faith.com