Don't Forget Patience; 2 Peter 3

May the mumbling commence!

I need to be reminded.  I need to be reminded about patience.  When the heat of the moment comes, I need the reminder even more.  Patience is a virtue.  I need to remember that in the dog days of summer.  There have been a few too many dog days this summer so far.  And there seems to be no end in sight. 

Patience is a virtue.  I am reminding myself.  Patience is needed in this extreme heat we are suffering through.  I do not know how I would cope without air-conditioning.

But patience is a rare trait in humanity.  That is why, when we look for patience, we must look instead at God.  God is patient.  Sometimes we may see God’s patience as being slow to make good on God’s promise.  But that is just NOT the case.  Read from Second Peter chapter three:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (Verses 8-9)

Yes, God is patient with me.  So I should not begrudge God’s patience with others – particularly with those people who are being thorns in my side.  You and I may cry out, “How long, O Lord?!?”  Why does God sometimes seem slow to act?

Our Lord is patient with all people.  God does not want the people that were lovingly created in the image of God to perish.  God is not slow.  God is patient.  God’s silence and waiting is the pause that allows for repentance to happen.

How long will God wait on us?  To you and me it will seem forever.  For instance, what feels like a rapidly passing day to me feels like a week to my almost four-year-old son.  Sometimes, I cannot understand my son, Micah’s, impatience.  Well, God likely feels the same way about us.

So, as we see the number of 100+ degree days mount up and as we see evil loose upon the earth seeming unchecked, let us remember the patience of God.  Help us, O Holy Spirit, to at least understand the patience of God.  Help us have a portion of Your patience.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out