The Lord is not Slack (1/6-10)

06-10 January 2015 - The Lord is not Slack – Manna by Dorothy Callies

2 Peter 3:9a “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us ward . . .”

The word slack interests me. I like the King James Version to keep in the Word of God as much as possible before going into other translations. I choose to interpret this: Slack means slow, weak, careless, taking sweet time as if it was nothing, not busy or nothing important.

Question: Why would Peter bring up the subject, “The Lord is not slack?” I looked at 2 Peter 3:1-8 and noticed verse 3 & part 4 says, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own flesh, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? …”

NLT gives a clear translation: “First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers (mockers) who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire. This will be their argument: “Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created” 2 Peter 3:3-4.

Peter responded and said, “They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth up from the water and surrounded it with water. Then He used the water to destroy the world with a mighty flood. And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the Day of Judgment, when ungodly people will perish” 2 Peter 3:5-7 NLT.

Peter went on to defend God from those who mocked God about His ‘slackness.’ Peter said, “But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day” 2 Peter 3:8 NTL. God is an eternity God so one day is like a 1,000 years to Him.

The mockers attacked God and His Word so Peter gave an answer to defend God. Peter responds this verse to the scoffers and said, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise to return, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so He is giving more time for everyone to repent” 2 Peter 2:9.

Peter exhorted us and said, “I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people. I don’t want you to lose your own secure footing. But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen” 2 Peter 3:17b, 18.

Dorothy: What does this whole devotion means to me? I see TV and internet news about riot in other countries, wars, hazardous weather, flood, people died everywhere, leaders corrupted, unrest people, people losing homes, and oh so many things going on that we may have never seen this much happenings so fast and so distressing.

It is a temptation for anyone to say “Where is God in all this? Why is He so slow in doing something to stop the bad things from happening to all of us? Where is He? Why God keeps putting it off? Is Jesus coming back at all?” Peter, the Apostle had the answers since He knew Jesus and His Word so well. Peter was very close to Jesus and Peter loved Jesus.

If Peter was here today, what do you think his answers would be to us? “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise to return, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so He is giving more time for everyone to repent” 2 Peter 2:9.

You know, God read my secret thought when I admit at times, it does feel like He was being slow about everything. God cares what I thought and through Peter’s quoting that “God isn’t being slow.” The Holy Spirit corrected my thoughts and His Word changed me. I realized that God still has a plan and that I am to trust Him. I thank God for loving me this much.

Maybe you felt the same way and I pray that His Word would corrected our thoughts that He seems slow when in fact, God isn’t slow in His promise to return. Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray.” So let us continue to pray and thank God for each day.  

Song: O How Sweet to Trust in Jesus

O How Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Just to trust Him at His Word.

Just to rest upon His promise,

Just to know “Thus saith the Lord.”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.

Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!

O, for grace to trust Him more.

(Louisa M. R. Stead, Sing His Praise)