Read 2 Peter 3:8-13
Have you ever heard someone say, “God’s timing is perfect”? I did, just today. It’s a phrase we like to use when God seems slow in answering our prayers. Peter calls out that big old elephant in the room for us. He starts out by explaining that God’s clock works differently than ours. “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”
Is that a helpful reminder for you? Are you waiting on God for something big in your life to happen? It seems like we are always waiting for something, whether it’s a job promotion, finding the right house to move into, getting pregnant, getting married, being able to retire and start living life the way you want. What is it for you? When we welcome God and expect him to move in these life events, we can trust he is working out the “best” solution for us. Could that be why one of the gifts of the spirit is “patience”? We must continue to wait.
The bigger “wait” we all share is our anticipation of Jesus’ return. Peter speaks to that as well. “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.” We’ve heard that reference to “thief” before. (See also, Revelation 16:15, Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, and 1 Thessalonians 5:4)
We don’t know when God is going to make this move. The choice belongs to us of what we do while we wait. Do we live our lives oblivious to God’s power and miss out on all the blessings? Or do we live expectantly, enjoying the satisfaction of living a life of faith that pleases God? Peter suggests we should live “holy and godly lives.” Do you agree with him?
I’ve shared before about how this world is not our home. We may live here in this moment, but Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, and I belong to his kingdom. We are placed here by God for a purpose, to love him and worship him. That love includes caring for his creation and loving others he has created that share this planet with us.
All the while, we know in our hearts there is more to life. People have often described an empty feeling they feel inside, trying to fill it with all sorts of worldly things. That happens especially when they don’t understand the connection God desires to have with them. How are they going to find out if we don’t tell them or introduce them to the source of our own fulfillment? Jesus.
Peter tells us what he is doing as he waits for God’s perfect timing. “But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.” It’s good for us to focus on a future with God. Sometimes it’s that thought alone that gets me through the day. Can you even fathom a world filled with God’s righteousness? That, my friend, is a thought that should give you peace when you find yourself awake at night, drowning in worry or dread.
Remember, too, that God’s timing is perfect. Welcome him into your planning and ask him to shower you with patience as you wait.
Let’s pray. Lord, I am a bit anxious about a situation I’m facing. I know that your timing is perfect, but I struggle in the waiting and knowing how much I should be doing to move the situation along. Give me your wisdom and an extra dose of patience as I wait. I long for the day when your kingdom comes. May I keep my eyes focused only on you as I wait. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
