Tuesday, July 16, 2013 More Time to Repent by Rick Warren “The Lord isn’t 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 3:9 NLT) History is moving toward a climax. Why doesn’t God just shut the earth down now? Because he wants to demonstrate his grace. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord isn’t 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” (NLT). The reason why God puts up with all the grief that he sees on this planet is because he’s being patient. And, he’s waiting for you to step across the line and start a relationship with him. When somebody comes to you and says, “I can’t believe in a God who would stand by and watch people suffer,” here’s what you say: “I don’t believe in that kind of God, either. God isn’t that kind of God. In fact, you have no idea how much it hurts God when he sees all the sin on Earth. It hurts him more than anybody else! It grieves him when he sees what his creation is doing to each other.” I believe in a God who one day is going to stop evil dead in its tracks. There’s going to be an accounting. One day he’s going to judge all evildoers, and he’s going to bring those in his family to live with him forever in a perfect place. If you’ve never turned your life over to Jesus, I am confident you received today’s devotional because God wanted you to hear this message. Jesus says in John 10:10 that he came to give us a full and abundant life, but we will only find that life by following him. To help you understand how to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, visit rickwarren.org. Click on the “Know God” tab, and you’ll find a video that explains what it means to become part of God’s family. Talk It Over • What does it tell you about God when you read about his patient waiting for our repentance? • Who do you know that doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus? Can you pray that God would be patient for them and give them an opportunity to hear about Jesus? *** *** *** This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including “The Purpose Driven Church” and “The Purpose Driven Life,” read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional ©2013 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 06:03:05 +0000
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