9 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.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 3:9.
Some translations of the Bible use the word “slowness” instead of slackness. The word slow may help some understand that God is not behind schedule. We see time as finite and measure time compared to our life span. God sees time compared to eternity so what seems to be delayed or slow to us does not look that way to Him. At least that’s the way that I see it. A day is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day.
No matter how time is perceived we do have a finite amount of it in this world. God gives us this place and an appointed number of years to live as He purposed. How we spend it and what we do with it matters. Many choose to live without acknowledging God as creator and savior and it saddens Him.
Jesus has promised to return to take His church. In an event that will be seen by the entire world, a new kingdom will be established. Only those who are children of God by professing Jesus as Lord and Savior will inhabit it. Those that do not will suffer God’s wrath and He has no desire that anyone would perish.
God is patient. Praise God Himself because of His character and that it doesn’t look like my character. He is also faithful. He will send Jesus back to collect His bride, the church, and it will be too late for those who declined the invitation. God desires that all come to repentance so that they may be saved. Repent now, we have fewer days before Jesus returns.