“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. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”– 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
Okay, I’ll admit it. I feel old. My teenagers would say I am very slow when it comes to technology. Despite having a smartphone, I have few apps or games and use it mainly to text family and friends or make phone calls. Apparently I text at a snail’s pace, which is too slow for their liking (I like to write full sentences). When I can’t get my phone to do what I want or need to change some settings, my teens are at my side, chiding me on my inability to do the simplest of things. Quickly moving their thumbs and swiping the screen, they have accomplished a task in five seconds that would have taken me fifteen minutes to figure out.
In the realm of culture, they would also say I am slow. Slang, language, celebrities, music, streaking on SnapChat, “shipping” people together… all these things I catch on to very slowly. I am amused as they patiently explain these concepts to me, rolling their eyes a little, helping their “old” feeble mother navigate her way in a very foreign world.
Thankfully, God is also patient with us, despite our slowness in believing, trusting, and following Him. As He helps us navigate our foreign world called “life”, and our spiritual world with Him, He patiently reveals new concepts to us, gets our settings up-to-date, and streaks daily with us through His word and prayer. His promises to us are sure, and though we sometimes get impatient with Him on how quickly these are revealed, we can rest assured that God always does show up on time.
God’s patience is not driven by any other motive than His love for us. He wants us to know Him, have a relationship with Him, and find Him in all aspects of our lives. But we often move at a snail’s pace to follow Him and do what He asks.
Perhaps you are a tech-savvy person. Perhaps you are more like me–slow but willing to learn. Let our spiritual lives be ones of always learning, open to what God has to say, being willing to try new things, and most of all, having patience with others who are in different places with their faith.
Prayer- “God of all ages, thank you for keeping your promises to me. Thank you for your patience as I navigate through this relationship with You. I am often slow to understand your activity in my life, so I pray for the eyes and ears to see and hear you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Prayer For All Days 