Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (James. 5:10)
Expanded Passage: James 5:10
A young C. S. Lewis was captivated with the writings of a Scottish author and minister, George MacDonald. MacDonald used fairy tales to explain the beauty and transformative power of God in a fresh way. As a young man, Lewis would devour MacDonald’s fairy stories. Even when Lewis became a militant atheist, the eventual author of the Narnia series would often return to the writings of MacDonald. He even later wrote that he owed much of his conversion to the ideas and images that MacDonald had offered through his books.
In fact, Lewis would later call MacDonald “his master,” meaning his teacher or mentor. George MacDonald had a profound impact on one of the most impactful Christian writers of the twentieth century. One could be led to believe that Lewis and MacDonald had built a strong relationship over their lifetimes—but that’s not true. George MacDonald never met C. S. Lewis (at least on earth). Reverend MacDonald died when Lewis was seven years old.
James advises us to look into the past at the Old Testament prophets for inspiration and guidance. Like MacDonald guiding Lewis to a fresh experience with the Lord, or the early church looking for strength in suffering from the prophets, we can look to those who came before us as a model of faith, strength, or inspiration.
Look to the saints of the past for strength and inspiration.
Stephen Simpson is a graduate of Wesley Seminary (IN). He has served at Wesleyan churches—in one form or another—since childhood.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
