Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
Read: 2 Peter 3:10
In his second letter to the faithful, Peter advises Christians to live godly lives and look forward to this “day of God and speed its coming.”
I’ll be honest. The description of events in the Book of Revelation before His arrival sounds dreadful, and if I’m dead (resting in Christ) then, all the better.
Sure, there’s evil surrounding and dwelling in us. Yet there’s also love, kindness, and sheer natural beauty. The trees in the photo above rise to a blue sky and sway in the breeze, as if slow dancing with their Creator. Despite our sins, God continues to bless us with sunshine, light, plants, animals, food, and shelter. In His merciful timing (thankfully, blessedly slow in His patience), there remains much to savor.
We Christians live in two worlds—the earthly and the heavenly. In our earthly lives, we must fight evil inclinations and lies that sound good to our “itching ears.”
According to Peter, our earthly world will melt in a roar of fire. But the Apostle gives us a reason to look forward to it. On that day, Jesus will return and create a new heaven and new earth, which will be far better than the best we’re experiencing now. How bright must be the sun in a world without lies, hate, and selfishness! Dead or alive, we will rejoice under His rule because it will be perfect and we will embrace, not disobey it.
The timing is, as in all things, God’s. We must prepare our hearts and lives to meet Jesus amid that horrible conflagration. He will embrace us and all will be better than what we call “perfect” now.
Dear Jesus, help us use Your time of grace to bring as many to You as possible so that when the day of Your wrath approaches, it will be a day of joy for millions more. Meanwhile, hold us close so we remain faithful to the end and grow more fruitful daily.
