Here’s the pair of verses that really jumped out to me this morning:

8-9: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is 1000 years, and 1000 years as one day.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

I love that these two verses are together, because we often make the mistake of trying to understand God‘s heart and intentions by his specific actions, and that often leads us in the wrong direction. In the moment I discipline my children, you can only see one small element of my fatherhood. In a moment I choose to let one of them struggle through a little of their work, if you swooped in and viewed that decision in isolation you might say that I am being cruel to them.  But that would miss that I am trying to help them learn and to develop into independent adults in time.  it’s the bigger goal that gives context to the smaller goal.  it is easy to judge a moment and miss a vision.

Think about looking at a piece of art. You can learn some thing about the artist often times by looking at their art. But you can’t truly know that artist from a piece of art.  we, the world we live in, and everything that is going on around us give us clues as to who God is. But there is a lot of work still to be done for each of us individually to understand God‘s vision for our lives and God himself.

Here Peter gives us a quick reminder of God‘s ultimate plan. I can be frustrated with God at his methods, and with his timing, but I must remember that his ultimate goal with his methods and timing are, as Peter says, to bring me back to him through repentance.

Today, my thought for the day draws on this idea but is not directly related to what Peter is actually addressing. My question is this:

If someone were to pull my kids aside and my kids had to convince them that I love them unconditionally, as if making a case in a court of law, what chance would they have to make that case?

Am I loving my kids, and my wife, as God loves me; unconditionally, selflessly?

Or, do I love them in a way that communicates a works-based love from me? Am I modeling what Jesus demonstrates through his example to us, a selfless love, or does my strategy with them communicate that they must earn my love and my approval?

I know my heart, I know I am trying to love them as Jesus loves me, my question is more about trying to help me think through what is being heard from me versus what is being said.