Establish Your Hearts
James 5:8
“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
I am a fixer. I can’t help it. If you share a problem, I immediately bombard you with potential solutions. I’ve learned in marriage that Carlin is not always looking for a solution—but simply to be heard.
James’ command to “establish your hearts” is challenging for me because my instinct is to change my circumstances or fix the problem. I don’t like discomfort. Perseverance is painful—and I bet it is for you too.
So what does it mean to establish our hearts?
The word means to fortify or stand firm. It’s a defensive posture against the temptation to give in or give up. But fortifying requires strengthening—so what do we strengthen ourselves with?
James is calling us to establish our hearts in faith. To trust more deeply that God has not failed or forgotten us. To believe that God is in control even when life feels completely out of control.
This is a change from the inside out. It’s belief that leads to action.
And ultimately, establishing our hearts requires the work of God’s Spirit—doing in us what we cannot do on our own.
Reflect:
What is causing you to feel unsteady or unsure today?
Name it honestly before God.
Pray:
Lord, steady my heart and anchor my hope in You. Even when life feels out of control, I trust that You are in control.
The Valley of Disappointment
James 5:7
“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.”
In Atomic Habits, James Clear describes the frustration we feel between expectation and reality as the Valley of Disappointment. This valley often appears when we start something new. We immediately expect visible change—our schedules free up, the pounds drop, the six-pack appears.
But more often than not, the results trail behind the effort. In that moment, frustration sets in, and we’re tempted to quit.
It is in this valley that we must persevere. Clear points out that growth is usually exponential, not linear. This means we’re disappointed not only because progress feels slow at first, but also because we drastically underestimate what consistent perseverance can produce over time.
This connects directly to our spiritual lives. We often expect instant transformation and feel discouraged when it doesn’t happen. James encourages us to be patient—like the farmer, the prophets, and Job. Change may not happen overnight, but God is faithful and will bring it about in His time.
Reflect:
Where are you feeling disappointed by a lack of results?
Where are you showing up but not seeing change?
Could you be in the valley—and could perseverance lead to more than you can imagine?
Pray:
God, help me keep showing up. Help me be patient and trust that You are working even when I can’t see it.
Big Hope
Big Hope
Hebrews 13:14
For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Yesterday we looked at how our hope is often too small. The Jews in Jesus’ day wanted a change in circumstances, but God came to change their hearts.
And we’re no different.
We often become enamored with achievement, comfort, careers, and relationships—believing they can finally satisfy us. We place our hope in a candidate, a title, a degree, or even a spouse to fill what is empty within us. But every hope placed anywhere other than Christ will ultimately fail.
Augustine said it beautifully: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”
Today, remember the Big Hope that belongs to every believer in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
We place our hope in the truth that the One who once dwelled among us will one day reign forever.
There is a day coming:
when the curse of the fall will no longer rest on us,
when life will finally be as it should,
where peace reigns,
where God’s presence is unmistakable,
where wars cease,
where pain and suffering fade,
when lions lie with lambs,
when weapons become farming tools.
Do you think about that day?
Do you long for that day?
Or have you become so consumed with the pace, pressure, and promises of this life that you rarely consider there is something more—something better?
This is the “city that is to come.”
This is our Big Hope.
Too Small of Hope
Hope Too Small
John 19:14b–16
Pilate said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
When Jesus was born, the Jewish people were longing for the promised One who would finally change their situation. They expected a politically focused prince—a military-minded Messiah who would overthrow the heavy hand of Rome and restore the people of God to the land of God.
But when God fulfilled His promise, they were unwilling to accept what stood right in front of them.
Jesus was not what they expected—and honestly, not what they wanted.
They wanted a nation restored.
But God had bigger plans.
He came to restore hearts, not borders.
He came to reconcile the lost, not simply return what had been lost.
Their hope was too small.
What about you?
Is your version of God too small?
Is your hope in this life too limited?
Are you expecting God to prioritize earthly comfort over eternal transformation?
Are you asking God for things He never promised to give?
Are you demanding He meet your expectations, or else you dismiss what He’s already doing?
Here’s the question to sit with today:
Where have your expectations of God clouded your vision of how God is actually working?
The people hoped for a change in circumstances.
God came to change their hearts.
We often hope for the temporary.
But God offers the eternal.
Jesus a Friend to Sinners
Jesus: A Friend to Sinners
Luke 15:1–2
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Matthew 11:19
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
My son’s favorite thing in the world is playing with friends. Within the first 60 seconds of being home, I know the question is coming: “Can I knock on a door?” Thankfully, we are blessed with neighbors all around us with kids for Cooper to play with. He’ll start at one house, and if no one is available, he’ll try the next three or four. I often joke that he is the feral child of our street. Sometimes he doesn’t even mind if the kids aren’t home—he’ll gladly talk with the parents as long as they’ll let him.
Cooper loves being with a friend. And honestly, so do we. Who doesn’t enjoy being with people we trust, enjoy, and feel free to be ourselves around? While Cooper is usually the one going door to door, every once in a while we hear a knock at our own front door. When that happens, he darts out of his room to answer. Great joy fills him when a friend comes knocking.
In Revelation 3:20—originally written to believers—Jesus says:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Jesus, the friend of sinners, is knocking at our door. The Pharisees meant “friend of sinners” as an insult, but Jesus lived it as truth. He desires time with us. His knocking reframes how we think about our relationship with God. It’s not primarily about us trying to get His attention or wondering whether He will welcome us. It is Jesus—our friend—knocking on the door of our lives, wanting to be with us.
Do you see the reversal? Jesus enjoys time with us rather than refuses it. Friendship is mutual—it’s a two-way street. Too often I slip into thinking the relationship is all on me, that I have to keep Him pleased or earn His nearness. But Jesus doesn’t tolerate you. He wants you.
Whether you have many friends or whether you’re walking through a season of loneliness, remember this: you have a friend in Jesus who is knocking—gladly, patiently, faithfully—on the door of your heart today.