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. 2 Peter 3:9
After Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples believed that He would return in their lifetime. Paul also preached the imminent return of Jesus. So what happened? Were they wrong? Yes in the sense that Jesus has not yet returned, but they were right to preach the imminent return just as we need to do the same. None of us knows when He will return. We only know that He will return just as He said.
I think Peter caught the essence of the issue when he wrote today’s verse. He understood that God’s timing is not like ours. We look at the here and now. God’s looks at the eternal. We are inpatient. Even more so today than when Peter wrote this verse. We want it now we hate to wait. Instant gratification is the buzz word today. We hardly plan a year in advance. God has planned out all time. His plan was there before He created time and the universe.
God gives most of us 70 plus years to make a decision that should take only a few minutes. Why, because He loves us. He does not want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to accept His grace and live with Him for all eternity.
Jesus could have returned in the first century. God could have finished His plan then, but He chose to wait. Today we finally have the ability to reach the whole world with the Gospel. As our ability to communicate and travel to every point on earth the Gospel is reaching everyone.
So does that mean Jesus will return in our lifetimes? Yes and no. Yes He can return at any moment. He could return before I finish this sentence. His return may also be in our great grandchildren’s lives. We just don’t know. People who set date for the return are ignoring what Jesus said “that no one knew the day or the hour, not even the Son”.
No we must live like Jesus will return this very minute and like His return will not happen in our lifetimes. We must have patience knowing that God has it all planned out.
Have a blessed day,
David
