Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Today we are memorizing 2 Peter 3:9…

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.

Here is the amplified version…

The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

This verse had me looking back in Ezekiel…

Say to them, AS I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? (33:11)

God has no pleasure when the lost die.  He desires that all repent and come to know Him. We need to be thankful that our Father was patient with us and sent the Holy Spirit to intervene and save us from a death in which we would be separated from God for all eternity.  And because we know of His patience, His mercy and His grace, our desire to see all repent should be as great as His. 

How should we live our life here on earth serving our Father and fulfilling His desire? By being willing to risk rejection, ridicule, and scorn by those who don’t believe in Him. We should love the lost like Jesus did, with compassionate and true love, willing to be hated in order to be used by God as a means to saving someone.  We, like our Father, should always desire that..” all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4).

Here is a sermon by John Piper speaking about this verse and those leading up to it. I pray that it blesses you.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/where-is-the-promise-of-his-appearing

Have a blessed and precious day everyone!