Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+3.8-18

Scripture

The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

Observation

Peter urges us to remember that God’s time scale isn’t the same as ours. A day and a thousand years are the same to Him. He isn’t being slow to keep his promises but patient. He is holding off judgement until everyone who will be saved is saved.

Judgement will come swiftly. The universe will be burned up in fire, and a new heaven and earth, perfect in every way, will be formed.

Application

The Lord isn’t slow in keeping His promises. He does not delay unnecessarily. In fact, His timing is always perfect.

Peter here is talking specifically about the end of history and Jesus’ return. The principle applies to every promise of God.

We measure time in days. God measures in generations and centuries. We desire fast food and instant coffee, but He follows a better way with better outcomes.

God is perfect in all of His dealings with people. This is something that we should rejoice in, especially those who struggle with chronic sins.

When we are impatient with God’s promises we are in danger of falling into doubt and then unbelief. We can be tempted to deny that God will do what He has promised to do.

We must persevere in faith, believing that all of God’s promises come to pass in His way and at His time.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to be patient in waiting for your promises to unfold. Grant me faith to hang on to you even when you seem to act more slowly than I would prefer. Amen.