2 Peter 3:8-10

2 Peter 3:8-10

In this, do not let yourselves forget, beloved ones, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day.  The Lord does not delay the promise, as some regard delay, but rather He is patient into you all while not desiring any to die but rather all to advance into repentance.  But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief, and the heavens will cease to exist with a loud rushing noise, and the natural elements of the universe – while being burned with fire – will be destroyed, and the earth and all the things in it will be discovered.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As Peter continues to refute the impatience of those who have fallen away, he reminds us that God plays by different rules where time is considered.  God knows all things because God is not held by the same rules as we are.  To God, a millennium is a short amount of time.  But in the same manner, to God an entire day can be like a millennium.  God can see the entire spectrum of human existence now, yet God can focus in very narrowly on the intimate details of any moment of life, too.  We just simply cannot comprehend how God exists outside of time.  This means, of course, that God is not breaking His promise in saying that the Lord will return soon and the days of humanity are nearing an end.  Salvation has been won.  Christ has come.  There is nothing left that needs to happen before the end can come.  It can be upon us at any time.  From that perspective, the time is indeed near – even if from our perspective it may still be many days away.

Do you live with a perspective that the Lord’s return is imminent?  Do you live with an understanding that although it may be imminent it may not happen in your lifetime?  Are those tough to balance for you?

Second Thought:

Now Peter expertly deals with the inevitable question: why doesn’t God just return and end the suffering of creation?  The reason is because He is a loving God.  His grace knows no end.  He wants to give all people an opportunity to come into a relationship with Him.  His patience is greater than His wrath.  His grace is greater than His judgment.  He waits, because He loves.  We, therefore, should be content with waiting, too.  We should be willing to wait for His return so that as many can come to know God as possible, too.

Are you ever tempted to ask God to return now?  When might a person be tempted in this way?  Can this ever be an act of selfishness?  How does this passage actually teach us about the difference between God’s love and our love?

Third Thought:

As gracious as God is, there is going to be an end.  We will all come to an end of this life and there will be no more time to escape judgment.  The will be a time when creation itself will come to an end.  Peter tells us that such a day will come upon us as a thief in the night.  In other words, we won’t see it coming.  We won’t know when it will happen.  But it will happen.  We will all be judged.  God will expose us for what we truly are.  We may not know when, but we do know it will be.

Do you ever fear judgment?  Why is it good to know that judgment is coming?  How does knowing that God’s grace is bigger than His wrath help you deal with the judgment to come?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Peter 3:11-13