| 2 Peter 3:8-9 - Broken Clock
“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
(2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV)
by Chris
I believe it was my 11th birthday that fell on a Friday during the school year.
My brother told me about surprise plans my parents had that included renting one of my favorite video games and a handful of friends to sleep over.
As the end of the school day approached all I could do is fantasize about what my birthday party would be like. The only thing between me and such a great experience was time.
The more I longed to go home to my party the slower time seemed to run. At one point, I actually thought the clocks in the school were broken and not counting time correctly.
It felt like it took 10 minutes just for 1 minute to pass. For me as a child, this was mere torture.
Have you ever had a promise from God that seemed to take forever to come to pass? The more time that passed, the more anxious you became.
A lot of times this results in us wondering if God is still going to honor His word. We start feeling like since it’s not happening at the time(s) we think it should that God has somehow forgotten about us.
Today’s scripture deals with the day of judgement where God will destroy the earth. He is methodically waiting to return so that every man may have a chance to repent and come to Christ.
However, God takes this same approach with different areas and promises in our lives.
Brothers, don’t lose heart in waiting upon the Lord. What we think will take God forever to do can be done faster than we can imagine. What we think God can do quickly, He often brings to pass slowly to exercise our patience and test our faith and perseverance.
His promises are never fulfilled too soon, so that you receive a blessing you are not yet ready for.
His promises are also never fulfilled too late, so that you fall to destruction waiting for them.
But God exercises perfect patience to bring every promise to pass at the right time.
In His timing.
Lets pray...
“Father, thank you for your love and patience. For we know if you had returned to the earth when we wanted you too it would have robbed many others of the chance for salvation. Lord you know all things and patiently wait to return out of love for all mankind. Help us to exercise the same patience towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let our heart not be towards seeing them punished for their sins, but reconciled with you through repentance. We pray these things in Jesus name...Amen.”
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