He is being patient for your sake
2 Peter 3:9 God is infinitely patient for a reason - He wants everyone to come to Him
“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 3:9 NLT
After my recent detour down the path of repentance, we now return to our regularly scheduled programming… which just happens to be about patience, but leads to the topic of repentance.
Today’s verse is from Peter’s second epistle, in which he provides an encouragement to believers and non-believers alike to know God and what He has done for us. 2 Peter is short — just three chapters — but filled with the glorious knowledge of one of the closest confidants of Jesus, the foremost of the twelve disciples, and the foundation upon which the Church was founded.
This epistle begins with a cheerful greeting that quickly jumps into a reminder of all God has done for us, and why we should give all diligence to adding to our faith “virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5-7) as a way to be more Christ-like in our lives.
Peter then tells the early Christians why he keeps reminding them of these important precepts, pointing out the many prophecies that foretold the coming of the Messiah. Had Peter been a mathematician instead of a fisherman turned disciple, he could have provided the awe-inspiring statistics that the odds of just 48 of the 332 prophecies which Christ fulfilled were 10 to the 157th power to one (that’s 10 followed by 157 zeros… a huge number!).
Later in the epistle, Peter reminds his readers that people will always scoff at the assurance we have in the eventual return of Jesus, and to be patient. That’s where today’s verse shines so brightly! It’s not that He is being slow about His return and of the establishment of His kingdom, but that He is giving everyone as much time as possible to repent — which, if you’ve been paying attention the last few days, can be interpreted as turning to Christ as your Lord and Savior.
As Christians, we’ve already taken that important step. During the rest of our journey here on Earth, we need to study God’s Word, love our neighbors (even the unlovable ones), and bring others the Good News about Jesus. God is patient, and Jesus will return at the right time. Let us make sure that as many people as possible get the opportunity to receive and accept Jesus.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, I continually praise Your name for Your patience toward me — Your errant child — and toward the whole world. Help me to see the unsaved world through Your loving eyes, know that You want all to be saved. Place in me a desire to spread Your gospel of grace to a lost and hurting world, and equip me with the words to bring others to faith in You while there is still time. I pray this in the name of Jesus, AMEN.