Not Wanting Any To Perish

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!” They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

2 Peter 3:1-13

Have you ever thought about what the end of the world would be like? In 1882, the greatest volcanic explosion in modern history took place. Krakatoa, an island volcano along the Indonesian arc, shot six cubic miles of soil, rock, vegetation, animal and human life 24 miles up into the stratosphere. Its shockwave traveled around the world seven times, and its debris fell more than two thousand miles away.

Crisis has a way of shaking us out of complacency. It reminds us this world is not our home and encourages us to be godly. When it feels if our personal life is coming to an end, we should focus on living for eternity.

Trusting God can turn a crisis into a treasure.

Our Daily Bread – December 1, 2007