“The LORD’S Timing And Excercise Of Patience!”(II Pt.3:8-12).
Dear LORD, with the dawn of a new day, I leave my times in your hands!
1994 was the year when, for the first time, all South Africans, irrespective of race or colour, voted in a general election. On one of the election days at one of the polling stations, an old woman of more than 80 years was struggling to keep her pose on the queue as she toddled on to cast her vote. Someone, out of good faith, suggested for her to sit somewhere until it was her turn to get the ballot papers. The old woman replied, “I’ve waited for this day for over 80 years. I can withstand a few hours of standing, and it wouldn’t hurt. Even if it hurts, I can bear it.” Time is relative. The relativity of time is something like this: “A man in the company of a beautiful woman for sixty minutes thinks it’s just six minutes, but a man in a hot furnace for six minutes thinks he’s been there for sixty minutes.
The mockers of our faith think that waiting for God’s time is a wild goose chase or building castles in the air. They ask how much longer we have to wait before it happens according to God’s time. According to them, we have waited for too long, and nothing seems to happen.
Such is myopic reasoning and a lack of understanding of God’s definition of patience and love. We all are told not to forget this one thing: “With the LORD, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
Again, the LORD’S slowness is not fatality. Rather, the LORD’S seeming slowness is an expression of the depth of his love. He is not slow in keeping his promise as the mockers take delight to throw it at us as tantrums. The LORD is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Two important things are expected from us believers:
- We can speed up the day of the LORD as we bring the unbelievers to repentance and believe in Christ Jesus. We have a responsibility to bring the mockers from mocking to realisation that they are the reason why the LORD is delaying his coming.
- Secondly, as we look forward to the day of the LORD, we should live holy and godly lives. By this, the LORD with a sense of satisfaction will speed his coming.
*My friend, despite the patience of the LORD, “the day of the LORD will come like a thief.” While you rejoice that the LORD has blessed you with a full year 2025, know that it is not fully assured that 2026 is all yours. Trust in the LORD for his perfect timing, but work also to hasten the coming of that day!
Prayer for the last day of the year: Heavenly Father, thank you for your exercise of patience as you wait for the repentance of those you have elected. Amen!
Have a blessed end of year! Peace be with you! Have a happy and fulfilling New Year!
Rev Babila Fochang.
31/12/2025.