January 13, 2016 – 2 Peter 3:9

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9When a disaster hits our world – we ask, where was God?  Ask instead, What would you have me do, Lord?  Have you ever noticed that when we endure an unwanted separation, a death, severe pain or illness, we run to God?  We call on Him and praise Him and plead with Him.  We go to our Lord and Savior because it is all we have.  On a clear day, without storm clouds around us, we tend to forget our relationship with God.  We think we’ve ‘got it’ — that illusive well-being feeling when we think we are in control of our world.Our Lord is not hiding out or taking a nap.  He is not slow — He simply wants all men to return to Him and repent.When we choose our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is God’s gift and guarantee.  The Holy Spirit  lives within us to guide us and comfort us.  God created us and then purchased us with the blood of sacrifice on the cross.  Why?  He wants us to continually praise and glorify Him every moment of every day – not just on Sunday or just when bad things happen around us.Anne Graham Lotz writes To know God is to love God. To love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to know Him better. To know Him better is to love Him more. So start getting to know God, and then keep the cycle going until you’ve finished.The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:14