"The Lord is not really being slow about His promise of returning, as some people think. No, THE LORD IS BEING PATIENT FOR YOUR SAKE. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent."
The Lord promised that He would come back to the earth for His redeemed. I for one would like that to be today. I would rather be in Heaven with Jesus Christ the Lord God then remain here on earth. I would rather be in perfection for eternity than in corruption on this earth. As any true believer, I do not fear death, for it has no sting and the grave has no victory over us. To be absent from our body is to be present with the Lord. That should be the desire of all Christians. We also desire that those we love and know will repent and come to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. We do not want those we love to be destroyed and separated from God. That is the Lord's heart in that He loves all people and for their sake He is delaying His return. When you compare heaven with the Lord against eternal separation and damnation the only rational position is to understand why the Lord has delayed His return.
We should also remember that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. His time is not our time. Our lives are relatively short, here today and gone tomorrow. So we need to understand that the Lord is not really being slow about His promise to return. His delay may be beyond our understanding but it is the Lord's timing and not ours. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night and unexpectedly. It will be swift and powerful. The Lord will not be tardy, He will be right on time. The Lord is long suffering and patient toward those He loves and who need to be saved. He does not want a single person to perish or suffer the second death. It is for your sake that He delays His return.
Lord, forgive those of us who would prefer that the day of your return be today. It is a selfish motive to leave this body and to obtain our heavenly body forever. We would leave this world in an instant and claim our heavenly mansion if we could. We know that the Lord has promised us these things and yet we need to understand the heart of God. We need to appreciate His Love and mercy and justice. So if an unbeliever asks you why the Lord has not returned or questions His Word, then you can give the correct answer; THE LORD IS BEING PATIENT FOR YOUR SAKE!
