8 Don’t let it escape your notice, dear friends, that with the Lord a single day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a single day. 9 The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a dreadful noise, the elements will be consumed by fire, and the earth and all the works done on it will be exposed.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. Because of that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
Preparing for Christ’s coming in judgment
14 Therefore, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found by him in peace—pure and faultless. 15 Consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation, just as our dear friend and brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him,
Reflection
With eight weeks to go in my pregnancy, the doctor announced that Baby Carlson would be coming sooner than expected.
“Oh yeah, this kid is head down and ready to go, Dr. John announced.
“You are already three centimeters dilated!”
So “Get ready” was the indication.
Even with early signs that our son was coming sooner rather than later, you’d have thought we’d be more prepared. Yet when Matthew entered the world a full seven and a half weeks after the doctor’s pronouncement, we struggled to be ready. My husband and my sister scrambled to finish painting the bedroom in time. In reality, are human beings ever really “ready” when parenthood happens?
For that matter, how ready might we be for any major life change? To a much larger extent, how ready might we be for the coming of Our Lord?
This scripture from 2 Peter 3 reminds us that the day the Lord returns will be a day that comes like a thief in the night. The apostle Paul prophesied that the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the earth will be laid bare. Paul describes a horrific scene of likely war and regret. However, we need not regret or worry for the day the Lord returns. Although we will not know when, we cannot ready ourselves by worrying about it.
There will be no need for worry because that day will be for our salvation. As Paul reminds, despite the physical circumstances, Our Lord’s return will be for our benefit. It is for our grace. So Paul’s words from long ago and far away, remind us that the only thing to do is to stay the course in our faithfulness. “Make every effort to be found in peace –pure and faultless.” We make every effort to be at peace; that day will be for our grace.
by Barbara Carlson
For Pondering & Prayer
This scripture reminds that the day the Lord returns will be a day that will come like the thief in the night. We do not know when this will be, but nor should we worry about that. Instead, we continue in faith and thanksgiving preparing for that day.
Prayer:
Gracious God, please let me be released from worrying. Let me be at peace knowing that life will happen in your time. Let me be at peace preparing in faithfulness for your return. Amen.
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