Read: 2 Peter 3:1-10
The Lord is . . . patient toward you. (v. 9)
During Advent, and then continuing through the end of December, the Words of Hope devotional is written by a group of faculty and staff from Western Theological Seminary. Our community is thoughtful and reflective, and we fully embrace the liturgical seasons of the church year as we worship together.
Advent is a favorite season for our community. This time of year is muted and dark and waiting is the major theme. We often presume we are waiting for Christmas, but let’s be honest, we aren’t really waiting for Jesus’ birth. He was already born, and we know his story.
The event we are actually waiting for in Advent is, as our passage from 2 Peter illustrates, the second coming of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but at times I have a hard time feeling confident that Jesus is actually going to come again. When I read Peter’s assertion “that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing” (v. 3), it doesn’t take much translation to apply those words. They hit close to home. Maybe I’m not a public scoffer, but at least I am a private doubter. And then I remember that’s why it’s called faith. It takes faith to believe Jesus will come again. It’s hard for some of us, yet Advent calls us to it. And so we acknowledge that we are waiting in this season, taking comfort in Peter’s words that the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises but patient. Thank God for that. —Jeff Munroe
As you pray, thank God for his patience.
About the Author
Jeff Munroe is the editor of the Reformed Journal and, in addition to being the author of the best-selling book Reading Buechner: Exploring the Work of a Master Memoirist, Novelist, Theologian, and Preacher, is also a poet, blogger, and essayist. His work has appeared in Christianity Today, The Christian Century, US Catholic, and The Reformed Journal.
