Category: Bible (Page 331 of 419)

Patience may be a virtue, but it’s rarely one of mine.

Several events this past week tested my patience. I grew restless when my package, arriving early thanks to one-day delivery, landed on my porch at the end of the day instead of mid-day. I fretted when my food failed to arrive promptly at a restaurant. I sat at the doctor’s office—antsy.

Of course, every morning I desperately await the coffee slowly dripping through its filter, but I consider that medicinal (more of an emergency situation) and so outside the bounds of normal patience.

With such attitudes in mind, I’m grateful to embrace this promise: 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.

While I’m impatient toward others, I’m so grateful for the Lord’s patience with me. This passage beautifully reveals the broad mercy of the Lord—not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

As I ponder this, I realize that I exhibit patience in at least one area of life—my garden. I enjoy the slow emergence of flowering plants throughout the spring and summer, and picking the blackberries, raspberries and strawberries ripe on their vines. At this time of year I appreciate the gradual fade of fall into winter.

My garden, and nature around me, gives me a hint of the Lord’s patience. I’ll enjoy this season, contemplating God’s incredible goodness—and patience—towards me and you and the folks all around us.

1 Peter 3 in week forty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by R O

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

Peter shares this brief insight into how the Lord regards time. I always wonder what these phrases might allude to—so many questions start to pop in my head.

I’ve experienced days that felt like a thousand years, and meetings that felt like two thousand.

A day like a thousand years—does the Lord stretch time? I’ve heard it taught that the Lord works outside of time, but here it seems the Lord twists a day like silly putty into anything he wishes. I also wonder if this means that the Lord accomplishes more in one single day than I could do in a thousand years?

Flip it over, and we learn that to the Lord, a thousand years are like a single day. Which makes a bit more sense to me, as God scans history from his place as the Creator of it all.

With this time scale in mind, I realize it’s been two thousand years—2 God days—since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As I recall, on the third day Jesus emerged into glory, stepping out of death into life.

So I wonder, as we move into the third thousand years since Jesus rose, what will God day #3 bring our way?

2 Peter 3 in week forty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin

We don’t throw the word wholesome around much these days. It seems to decline in proportion to a culture hot in pursuit of individualism. Wholesome refers to a healthiness of mind, body and morals, a vigorous and robust life.

Peter pushed wholesome as he wrote: Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Wholesome, at Peter wrote, refers to pure minds and dispositions. While I hope to gain wholesomeness by a healthy diet, exercise and clean living, Peter moved the concept deeper. How do I develop a wholesome mind (what I dwell upon) and a wholesome disposition (my inherent qualities of judgement and character)?

We hold his plan in our hands. Peter referred his readers back to the prophets of the Old Testament, the commands given by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the writings of the Apostles—what we call our Bibles.

Peter also pointed out that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. We have lots of those around, don’t we? You and I find plenty of opposition and ridicule to pursuing a wholesome life.

I’ve grown old enough to see the value of a wholesome life. Perceived as boring, it’s anything but, and I see plenty of people at the end of a wholesome life looking to eternity with curiosity and hope.

Never forget—the time you and I spend in the scriptures is worth it, and never give up—the value of wholesomeness multiplies over a lifetime.

2 Peter 3 in week forty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

I love Baby Ruth candy bars, so I’m glad to find out they are wholesome! I found this old ad at vintageadsandmags.com

One common complaint about the Bible involves a chasm between the wrathful God of the Old Testament and the peaceful God of the New Testament. But as I read the scriptures over and over, this dichotomy fades.

Towards the end of his book, Jeremiah prophesied about several nations surrounding Israel. Here’s his words for Moab: Make her drunk, for she has defied the Lord. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule.

The people of Moab worshiped a god named Chemosh—not the Lord—and rejoiced at the downfall of Jerusalem. Yet after their time of scourging, the Lord promised: I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the days to come.

Jeremiah shared similar messages of judgement followed by renewal for the nations of Ammon and Elam (worshippers of Chemosh and other gods), and the Lord declared to restore their fortunes in the days to come.

Why would the Lord act this way toward pagan nations? Where’s the wrath? If you read the text, torrents of wrath flow across the page. But as the flood ebbs, compassion emerges.

This God of the Old Testament feels remarkably similar to the God of the New Testament, as recorded by the Apostle Peter: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

The Lord waited with patience for his chosen people, and for for those nations outside their boundaries. Thankfully, the Lord waits with patience for you and me, and all those sharing this world with us.

Jeremiah 47-49; I Peter 3 in week forty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Jay Ee