2 Peter 3:12: Waiting For And Hastening The Coming Of The Day Of God

2 Peter 3:12

[12] Waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (ESV)

When I was a child I could not wait until Christmas. As soon as the month of December started I could not focus on anything else. I remember the three major department stores, J.C. Penney, Montgomery Wards, and Sears, had special Christmas catalogs. I would highlight each item I wanted. I would dog ear the pages. I wanted to make sure that my parents knew exactly what I wanted!

This word for hastening that Peter uses here speaks of "eagerly desiring something to happen." Do you eagerly desire for the coming of the day of God? This day of God means an end to the "day of man." It is the time when we will forever be in the Lord's presence. I don't have any special catalogs to look at in expectation of this "day of God." However, I have his holy word which describes this special day.

Let's compare the two days; the day of man, and the day of God. In our current day, we have to deal with the constant corruption brought on by sin. Sin has been the cause of sickness, death, and sorrow from its entrance into our world at the Garden of Eden. Everything that proceeded from the sinfulness of Adam and Eve was corrupt. Sin brings death. The day of man is a day of depravity.

In great contrast is the day of God. Often times, when Christians think of eternity, their focus is on the bliss that they will experience in the Savior's presence. That is certainly a wonderful aspect of this day, but consider what is missing from the day of God; sin! No longer will you break the Savior's heart by your disobedience. There will be no more death, morning, or sorrow. The day of God will be wonderful.

When you think of the day of God, think of it like waiting for Christmas. Eternity without sin is something worth desiring. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.