James 5:7-8

So, planning to go into a town for a year to make a profit is bad for several reasons. In addition, being rich is not a good thing to be. This leads to an urge to be patient for the day of the Lord. Instead of caring about riches and making money, we should eagerly wait for the Lord's return. This patience is compared to that of a farmer. A farmer plants his crops and waits for them to be fully grown. As they are growing, he tends to the garden, but he is also at the mercy of the weather. Nowadays with a more advanced civilization, we may not necessarily need to wait for the weather, but can simply water the plants ourselves. Though times have changed, there are still societies that are at the mercy of the weather for the success of their crops. Even with the advances in technology, they can't always be relied upon. Either way, the truth of the way of the farmer can still be applied and understood. The farmer patiently waits for the fruit. The fruit is described as the precious fruit. It is important to him because he probably needs it to live and support his family. We are to be patient for the coming of the Lord as the farmer is patient for the crop. It's coming, and we need to prepare our hearts. Our hearts may in fact not be prepared, not even ready for the coming of the Lord.