Eighth Day of Advent
2 Peter 3:8-16 (The Message)
The Day the Sky Will Collapse
8-9 Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
10 But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.
11-13 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
14-16 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don’t know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it.
Is God Ever Late?
We celebrate Advent as the first coming of Christ, with Christmas ballads and tinsel. Peter
describes a very different Coming of Christ—this time to bring final judgment.
Our time unravels in minutes, days, months, years. We have limitations of time and space.
How different with God. I can’t imagine Him looking at the clock. He thinks of a day as a
thousand years. Yet God’s timing is perfect.
Mary and Martha (John 11:25) were frantic—trying to reach Jesus to come and heal their
sick brother, Lazarus. Jesus eventually arrived. However, for the sisters, Jesus was late—too late.
Lazarus was dead.
Mary and Martha wept to Jesus—“If only you would have been here.”
You know the story. Jesus went to the tomb and shouted to Lazarus—who came from the
gravesite, still wrapped in burial shrouds.
The sisters learned something about Jesus. Lazarus had died, but Jesus miraculously gave
him back his life. Jesus wasn’t late at all!
God is beyond time and space. We often wonder—does He sometimes come too late? We
wring our hands, wishing and crying for God to do something—now!
Is God ever late?
Is He ever too late? Never!
Joe Musser
Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18