February 19, 2024
Melissa Valerio
“Delay never thwarts God’s purposes; it only polishes His instrument.” – V. Raymond Edman
Waiting is inevitable. We wait our turn, we wait for our meals at restaurants, we wait for our Amazon package to be delivered, we wait for our kids to mature. Sometimes it feels like an eternity, sometimes it feels like 2 seconds. The point is, we all spend time waiting. 2 Peter 3 reminds us that Jesus will indeed come back again. He has promised to return, to bring order to this Earth and rule with righteousness and authority. A promise that He made more than 2 thousand years ago still stands strong today. And Peter is encouraging us to remain diligent in our walk with the Lord, remembering that at any moment, He could return. It may be in our lifetime, or it may not. Like a thief in the night, as He describes. (2 Peter 3:10) So, while we wait for the Lord to return, here are some ways we can wisely wait:
- Beware of false teaching. Scoffers will come and try to turn our hearts away from God. They’ll try to convince us that Jesus isn’t real or that because it’s been so long since He walked the Earth, He’s forgotten about us. But that’s impossible! God cannot forget about us — He has engraved us on His hands! (Isaiah 49:16). The world will try to lead us away from the truth, to find hope and pleasure in the passing things. Peter reminds us that these things will all fall away in the day of the Lord when all the things of the “world” will be burned up in judgement. So, stay awake and keep your eyes on God.
- Have patience with others, just as God was patient with us. The Lord’s patience is….irritating, at times, right? But wasn’t it to our own benefit that He was patient with us, so we could finally come to our senses and realize we needed Him? As much as it may irritate us, we have to admire Him for it. With the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. He was oh so patient with me, so I can also be patient with others.
- Grow in glory. Allowing Jesus to fully live through us will produce the fruit that Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). As we continue to wait on the Lord’s return, we can choose to train up under God’s teaching by walking through the trials of life standing on His promises. This will grow our faith and open us up to His transforming work. His goal is to take us from glory to glory, using every circumstance to make us more like Him.
- Reflect on past promises and continually thank Him for His involvement. The Bible is full of stories of God intervening on behalf of His people. To protect them, provide for them, save them, guide them, rescue them, encourage them, bless them. Those are all great reminders, but for something more personal, look at your own life. Recount all the ways God has protected, provided, saved, guided, rescued, encouraged, and blessed you. He surely has done the same for you. Open the photo album of your mind and recall all the ways He’s been faithful.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Your return is imminent; Your timing is a mystery; and Your promises are inevitable. Strengthen our hearts, Lord, as we wait on You. Teach us to enjoy each day You give us, for each day has its own purpose. We love You. In the name of Jesus, Your son, Amen.
Action: Think of a time when you needed to wait on God for something. Maybe it was a desire He put in your heart, and you persevered in prayer for a LONG TIME until He made it come to pass. Perhaps you’re still praying for it to happen. Be bold enough to share that testimony with someone and encourage them that waiting on the Lord is the best and safest thing to do. The best outcome belongs to the one who waits patiently on God.