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 3:9

 

Sometimes our lives progress at a rate of one step forward and two steps back. It feels like we’re getting nowhere.

A young couple bought a house that was over a hundred years old. The paint was peeling, and the roof was caving in. The process of restoring the home wasn’t a quick one. The fireplace was rebuilt, but pulling up the floor revealed a plumbing disaster. Gradually, they began to see progress, glimmers of what the house could be. But it often felt like they were taking one step forward and two steps back.

Does your own progress ever feel like that? So it may be with us and God. ‘God’s ways with us may not seem efficient to us. We might even think they are needlessly slow and inefficient. But none of God’s ways are needless, and none of God’s ways are slow; he’s patient,’ explains writer Jon Bloom.[1] The Bible book of 2 Peter says, ‘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 3:9).

When it seems like God is holding us in a place of difficult or frustrating circumstances, it’s because there is something of Himself He wants to give us that we will only get there. He may want to bring to light something we need to correct, or help us come to a greater understanding of His sufficiency, love, and faithfulness.

When you’re in a place where your progress is slow, remember, God is invested in you and in your journey. Watch carefully for what He may have for you.

[1] Bloom, Jon. ‘Be Patient with Your Slow Growth.’ Desiring God, 6 Oct. 2023, www.desiringgod.org/articles/be-patient-with-your-slow-growth.