stay with me now

2 Peter 3 (New Living Translation)

The Day of the Lord Is Coming

¹ This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. ² I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

³ Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. ⁴ They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

⁵ They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. ⁶ Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. ⁷ And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

⁸ But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. ⁹ The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

We look around us and we have the ability now, with technology, to see all the wickedness and evil in the world and we wonder, “Why does He tarry?  Why doesn’t He return NOW?”  Is it because He is waiting for you to come to Him?  What an awesome thought… that God loves you so much that He would delay His return for even one person. 

Verse 9 says that He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but He wants everyone to repent and give Him control of their lives.  Don’t wait to repent because one day He will say, “That’s it; no one else is going to repent.  I’m going to get my children!”  In my human mind, I believe it will be a bittersweet time for my Lord… He will be so sad for those who have not trusted and followed Him, but He will be gloriously joyful to gather His children to Himself for all eternity. 

And for a split second it will be bittersweet for all of His children when He returns because we will know friends and family who have rejected Him, but the sight of Him will overcome us with indescribable joy.

We love you and God loves you more.  Please don’t be left behind.