Delays

 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

 

We are living in the “End Times” or the “Last Days” and that can be an uneasy thought as the finality sounds ominous and gloomy. But, the biblical phrase “last days” refers to the period of time between the end of Jesus’ initial earthly visitation/ministry and His Second Coming. In Matthew 24:3 Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” People throughout the ages have been interested in end of time here on earth, both in their mortal lifespan and the cosmic lifespan, when as in Revelation 21:1 the Apostle John tells us, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” They see the sign of the times in the loss of the cultural moral compass, the attack on women and children, the national aggression and violence in the world, the decline in faith-based institutions, the decay of ethics, honor, manners and respect, so wonder just how close are we and what is delaying His arrival? 

 

Psalm 13:1-2 “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” But, as King David of Israel felt, we may experience God’s perceived delay for divine intervention in our daily lives while living now and stress may be the result. The late Christian family Psychologist Gary Smalley suggested four actions for our self-care in trying times. (1) Start off each day by reducing all your earthly expectations to as close to zero as possible. No longer expect life to unfold according to your will, your timeline, and your desires.                                                                                              

 

(2) Receive everything that happens to yourself as filtered by God. Take everything as a learning experience. (3) Know that every upsetting experience is an opportunity to worship God. Remember that God causes all things to work together for good, so emotional disturbances remind us that God is all that we need. (4) We need to rest in God, listen quietly, and ask Him to reveal His will for us and what He is telling us to do. Remember that your all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God is in control. Though we may not see and recognize it now, anything that He is delaying is for a good reason. So, in the meantime follow the advice of Philippians 4:8 which instructs us, “brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. In God We Trust, so enjoy life. Don't delay, enjoy the day.

 

In Christ, Brian