God’s Patience

God’s patience is infinite. Men, like small kettles, boil quickly with wrath at the least wrong. Not so God. If God were as wrathful, the world would have been a heap of ruins long ago.

- Sadhu Sundar Singh, Indian Missionary

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. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

- St. Peter, 2 Peter 3:8-9

As Christ-followers, sometimes our greatest desire is found in one of the final verses of the Bible, where in Revelation 22:20, John writes,

He [Jesus] who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The thought of Jesus coming back and restoring all things to Himself and bringing to an end all of the pain, suffering and injustice of this world sounds really good sometimes. We sometimes wonder, “What is He waiting on?”

St. Peter answers that for us in 2 Peter 3:9 where he writes, “Instead He [God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish...”

It always fascinates me when people reject God because they can’t possibly worship a God who sends people to Hell. I agree, except it doesn’t apply to my God.

God does not send anyone to Hell, as Hell is simply the absence of God.

People go there by choice because they don’t want to be with God. It is not God’s desire for anyone to end up there, for His desire is that everyone would choose to be in relationship with Him.

Jesus said in Luke 19:10, “The Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”

In John 3:17, Jesus proclaims, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:4, “God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

This sure does not sound like a God that wants to send people to Hell, does it?

This quote by J.C. Ryle, former bishop of Liverpool, captures it perfectly. He writes, “God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.” How wonderful, yet how sad… wonderful that God wants to offer salvation… sad that so many pass on the opportunity.

Our God is a patient God, which is great news for all of us who are still praying for a loved one to come to know Him. God knows the exact day and hour when Jesus will return. Let’s not hurry it, but instead, let’s use the time He has given us to continue to share the Good News with those around us and to continue to pray for all those we’d love to see in Heaven with us.

May this be our prayer: Thank you, God, for being a patient God, and for being a God who desires everyone to be in relationship with you. Help us to be inviters, conduits who bring the lost to you.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Pastor Ken

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