God Isn’t Late
Reading: 2 Peter 3; Ecclesiastes 9-12
8 Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. 9 God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. (2 Peter 3:8-9 MSG)
In the context of Peter’s message to the Christ-followers scattered around the world, his assurance that “God isn’t late” was intended to counter the false doctrine that said Jesus wasn’t going to return as he had promised.
Peter declared that God’s timetable is driven by his mercy and by his determination to give everyone an opportunity to be saved. God isn’t late in determining the date and time of Jesus’ return and the End of This World as we know it. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. All true!
But I’m reading this in my daily devotions time twenty centuries later, and there’s a message for me in my situation as well! God isn’t late in answering my prayers. God isn’t late in fulfilling the promises he has made to me and about me. God’s timetable for me is driven by his mercy and by his determination to allow me to grow and change and become all that his grace has purposed me to become. God isn’t late!
Friends, here is a fresh word of faith and hope for all of us today – God isn’t late concerning his promises to you and me! God isn’t late concerning his purposes for you and me! God isn’t late, but he is gracious, merciful, and patient!
God is never late, he’s always on time!
Prayer:
Father, Thanks for always being right on time and never being late. I choose to trust your timetable above any schedule I can devise. I trust in your love, mercy, and grace. You’re never late, you’re always on time. Amen.
Friends, Thanks for being with me on this journey through most of the New Testament in 2022! I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow to begin an in-depth look at Jesus’ teachings in Matthew and John in 2023.