God Is Patient

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

KIDS NEVER FORGET anything an adult promises them. Whether it’s a day at the zoo, a trip to McDonald’s, or even a gift, they like promises and want all promises fulfilled now! They don’t seem to know the meaning of conditional promises or “We’ll go to the zoo after . . .”

It doesn’t matter what good reasons an adult has for not fulfilling a promise at that moment; kids don’t understand. They want whatever they want now.

In today’s Scripture, Peter was writing to Christians who were excited that Jesus was going to return. In fact, they were becoming impatient. Perhaps the faith of some of them was even wavering—wondering if Jesus was really going to come through on his promise to return.

Peter reassured them that God was not fulfilling the promise right away for a reason—because the more time that passed before Christ’s return, the more opportunity people would have to give their lives to him.

God gives us many promises in his Word. At times we may be like those early believers—we grow impatient and perhaps even begin to doubt.

No matter what the promise, like the early believers we can keep holding on to our faith in the Lord, believing he has a reason for what seems like a delay, and he’ll fulfill his promises in his perfect timing!