Longsuffering grace

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3.8-9

Here we have the why of the waiting. Time means nothing to God. He lives outside of time. There is no difference between a day and a thousand years. So in God’s eyes Jesus might as well have only been gone a couple of days. 

So, it may seem like forever for us, but what is another day or two for Him. So we just really don’t know – but it is coming. 

And even though we may be anxious to get out of here there is a reason. 

The reason is the grace and the long-suffering of God. God’s desire is that all would come to repentance. I am sure I am upsetting one side of the Calvinism debate or the other – or maybe both here, but it seems to me that God is giving as many people as possible as chance to repent and turn to Him. It seems like God’s desire is that no one would perish in their sin – but that all, everyone, should repent and turn to Him. 

So His long-suffering grace steps in and delays the return of Christ to give everyone a chance to turn to Him. 

Praise God for His amazing grace. 

Praise God for His long-suffering grace.