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James 5:8
ESV You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
NIV You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
NASB You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
CSB You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near.
NLT You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
KJV Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

What does James 5:8 mean?

In this passage, James is urging his oppressed Christian readers to be patient as they wait for the coming of the Lord. In the previous verse, he pointed to the example of farmers. These hardworking people wait through the long, arduous growing seasons for the crop to finally become ready to harvest.

Be like those farmers, James writes. The harvest is close. The coming of the Lord is near. James tells his readers to strengthen or establish their hearts. His instruction for them is not to waver, when they're so close to receiving God's promise.

We cannot control the timing of the day of the Lord. However, James's instruction here makes it clear that we can control how we respond to the waiting. The reality of God's promise—His pledge to rescue us and make things right—gives us the ability to stand strong, even when our circumstances have not yet changed.
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