This One Fact

2 Pet. 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Why is the Lord so patient toward men? This verse says because He wants to allow time for men to repent to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But why make this statement now? What is the context? Peter is refuting the false teachers who were touting as their big reveal that the Lord hadn't come yet, and no doubt wouldn't come in the future either. They claimed that everything was as it was in the beginning. But so very untrue! Things are not the same. The world was destroyed once by water. Sin has matured and wreaked havoc on humanity and the world! The course of life has continued. The gospel has been spread to many nations, but still there must be others that God wants to bring into His fold.

Peter does not want us to overlook this fact, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Time as we know it is not the same as God's time. He views all of recorded time, the time before time began, and the time that is yet to be. So we can content ourselves with this fact. God's timing will win out! No amount of saying it isn't true will change that fact! No amount of saying He isn't coming back will change the fact that He is coming back! The only thing that needs to be changed is the heart of man, our hearts and the hearts of those yet to be saved. Our mission is to spread the gospel so that the last soul might come to repentance. And then KABOOM! Jesus will come parting the heavens, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God! We will ascend and see Him as He is because we will be like Him. 

Father,

Open my eyes to see those that You want me to share the message with. Grow me in self-control, steadfastness, and godliness. Help me to reflect Jesus Christ. Conform me to His image.

In His name,

Amen