Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing pat the door. 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. (James 5:7-11 ESV).
Today I am returning to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz for an illustration of an important principle in facing our trials. As you can see from the picture I have included it is the famous ruby slippers she was given in the film. The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items of film memorabilia in the National Museum of American History which is a part of the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. I’m sure you remember that they were her means of getting “home.” All she needed to do was click them together three times while reciting the request, “I want to go home.”
I hope you will continue reading and not get the wrong impression as I write that I often wish for such a pair of “slippers.” This is not a confession of any thoughts or a desire to harm myself in any way. It is simply the truth that I am confident that my heavenly home is so far better than anything I could have here that I often long for the day when I will be called home. I know that God has both purpose and design in all my experiences to produce good, but some of these things require enormous perseverance on my part.
In our reading today, James reminds us of the perseverance of the prophets and of Job, a man who suffered greatly when he lost all his children, all his possessions, and his health. Yet he did not lose hope or give up. God was there with him and eventually restored his possessions and gave him abundantly more. The point of Job’s story is not that he regained possessions but that he persevered in his faith in God and that God demonstrates compassion and mercy. That is the hope I need to keep going! Make it your hope as well!