Advent – God’s Promises

Friday, December 4

Advent – God’s Promises

I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. 2 Peter 3:2

Scripture tells us “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness . . . .” For most of my life the adjective “slow” was not one I wanted applied to me. “Slow” was a synonym for being stupid, unproductive, or late as in missing something important. We can all identify with this feeling, wanting to be (or at least perceived to be) smart, efficient, up-to-date, and aware of whatever was important to be, know, or do. But I’d like to suggest that there is a particular challenge to the Christian faith that has gotten more and more difficult as the centuries have passed along. It’s the challenge that is the subject of this morning’s passage from 2 Peter. It’s one that we share in common with our early brothers and sisters in Christ; but one that is—I think—a harder challenge for us today than it was for them in their time.

This passage tells us God risks appearing to be “slow” about Jesus’ promise to return soon because God wants to give us extra time to get ready and be prepared. It’s been a ‘hope’ and an ‘expectation’ for two-thousand years now! The message of the gospel has spread around the world in that time; and countless multitudes of people have come to trust and believe in the Lord Jesus and have been transformed by faith in Him.

Here God’s slowness is a good thing, a reflection of God’s patience, mercy, and grace toward us because, in the final judgment, God doesn’t want anyone to be without a gift under the tree of eternal life.