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.

TO PONDER

Yesterday, we looked at God’s promise to restore Jerusalem and the lives of the people of Judah after the Babylonians destroyed the city and killed many of the people. However, a small number of people (4,600) survived and were deported to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. But it was 70 years later that King Cyrus of Persia enabled some of the descendants to return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Not all the people returned, however, since some had given up waiting for God to keep his promise of bringing them back.

Another episode in the Old Testament where the people had to wait years for God’s promise to be kept was the wandering of 40 years in the desert after escaping from Egypt and before entering the Promised Land.

In each of these cases, God had a purpose in the delay. He was preparing the people for the new life ahead of them. For the Israelites spending 40 years in the desert, God was erasing religious ideas and practices from Egypt and teaching the people how to live as his children before they dispersed into their new homes in Palestine.

For the people of Judah in Babylon, part of God’s purpose was to cleanse the people of the bad religious practices they had picked up from their neighbours in Palestine. I am sure God had a whole lot of other things he was achieving during their time in exile. And that is the point; we are not always let in on why God does certain things. Sometimes we may find out, but often we will never know. But we do know that God is working for our good as we wait for Him to do what he promised us.

While we accept that some things God promises will take time to happen, there are other promises of God which are met immediately – like His promise to be with us always wherever we are. Although we will often waste time trying to solve problems ourselves, when we finally give up and let God guide us, we find He has been there all along, just waiting for us to surrender into His love.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise to never leave us, but that you will always be with us in whatever situations we find ourselves – even when we deliberately decide to do our own thing against your guidance. Please help us to be patient as we wait on you, trusting that you are always working to grow us as your children. Amen

Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping