Timing is Everything
God's time verses Ours
"Your God is too slow" was the complaint of a single friend of mine. He was reflecting on his impatience, and his unwillingness to wait any longer for his problems to end. His assumption about God is a common one. Since we singles are in love with speed, we assume that anything God really wants done, He will do quickly just like He did at creation. But when He doesn't do things quickly and we find ourselves in a prolonged wait, we conclude that God doesn't deem it important or worse yet, must be helpless to do anything. It's not hard to see why this viewpoint about God is popular. Slowness can be more than foolish impatience that causes anxiety. Terrible things can happen when deliverance does not come in time, or does not come at all. Christians have cried our since Bible times, "How long, O lord, how long?" It is to these suffering people that Peter tried to respond. Peter did not try to argue that they had miscalculated their calendar, he simple explained what "slow" means:
2 Peter 3: 8-9 "Belvoded, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but rather is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
The more precise word for "slow" in this scripture is "late". Peter was saying that "The Lord is not late." He has not gone past the appointed time for the fulfillment of His promise. Peter is assuring us that God is not indifferent or blocked by some barrier. He has not been unexpectedly delayed or changed His mind. No, He is giving us time. He is patient with time so we can prepare ourselves. If we are counting the days and hours and blaming God for His "slowness", we are badly mistaken. Peter argues with "but rather" see your waiting in a bigger context. The Lord is graciously giving you time to repent, amend our ways, and to become fit for heaven.
We must understand the concept of "perishable" is what drives our time crunch. We are terrorized by time because things run out, wear out and must be thrown out because they are "perishable." Our text remind us that God does not want anyone to "perish." God understands that everything about the world we live in s in fact "perishable." The seeds of dissolution are at work in everything and everyone. We will not be able to keep anything forever...therefore these things must not keep us. God created time with your eternity in mind and your most precious "perishable" is your soul.
There is a wonderful story about the dad sitting in his living room wondering what time it was. He heard his young daughter, still too young to read a clock, out in the kitchen. So he called to her, "Suzie, what is the little hand on?" After a short pause, Suzie who misunderstood the question replied, "A chocolate chip cookie!" Her answer makes a point. In many ways, it's the chocolate chip cookies we have our hands on, or wish we had our hands on that tell us whether time is too early or too late. Much of our sorrow and grief have to do with time ussues. We keep wanting things to be a certain way or we want to preserve something precious to us. These attempts often poison the enjoyment of the moments we are in. The more we believe and trust in a Holy God, the more certain we will be that His future and His promise holds something far better for us. Consider what Peter writes about God's time:
2 Peter 3: 11,14 "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons outght you to be in holy conduct and godliness...looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless, and consider the patience of our Lord is Salvation."
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