“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” (James 5:7, NIV).

     I have an ambivalent relationship with ATM’s. I hesitate to withdraw or deposit money into these faceless contraptions for fear that the transaction will be recorded wrongly. I feel more confident having a teller count out the bills as they are placed into my hand.

     The first ATM made its debut at a Barclays branch near London, England in 1967. Since that time, 2.9 million ATM’s have been installed worldwide. Ninety percent of all adults in the United States possess an ATM card.

     Since the ATM made its debut, we have enjoyed the experience of not having to wait for our wants to be met. Books, movies, and music now appear on our electronic devices with a few taps of our fingers. Food, liquor, and groceries show up on our front porch in minutes through the access of an App.

     Yet while these innovations have made life more convenient for us, these developments are conditioning us to believe that waiting is an adversary to be avoided. Yet the capacity to wait is a critical mark of Christian maturity. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote that waiting produces in us
the spiritual fruit of patience. Like the farmer who waits for the land to bear forth its harvest, God invites us patiently to wait upon His response to our prayers.

     Sadly, too many of us have conceded to the cultural pressure of being instantly gratified, particularly with respect to our prayer life. We treat the discipline of prayer much as we do an ATM. We insert our requests to God and expect that our appeals be met immediately. Such
expectations lead us to view our connection with God as transactional rather than a relationship based on faith.

     However, what if you and I were to take on the perspective of a savings account? How much richer would life be were we to view prayer as a time of making regular deposits, investing ourselves over days, weeks, and years, believing that God is preparing us for an abundant harvest?

     Take it from a recovering ATM customer. The interest you will ultimately gain by patiently giving God time to respond to your prayers is well worth the pause. Truly, the best of things come to those who wait.