Did you ever have one of those days when you really felt close to God? And then there are other days when you just can’t seem to find Him? There just doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why God seems so present one time and yet so elusive another time. When you spend time in seminary, you quickly learn that during the tough times of your life you are either drawn closer to Him or you find yourself pulling away from Him. But one thing is for sure, you don’t end up in the same place after life changing events that you were in before your trials.
Make no mistake – God doesn’t abandon us – He is with us every step of the way – whether we feel His presence or not. Sometimes, we succumb to the notion that if we can’t get an answer to our questions from God, then He isn’t there. There just isn’t any Scriptural support for that kind of thinking. God is always with us. And when you have one of those remarkable days when you feel so incredibly close that you just can’t describe it, you’re having one of those experiences that you just never want to end. I yearn for those kinds of days.
And I don’t know why I can’t have them day after day. Maybe if that was the case, I would tend to take my relationship with God for granted and those special days wouldn’t seem so special any more. But I don’t want them to stop.
Peter, along with the other apostles and many others in the early New Testament, had walked with Jesus and experienced Him first hand for almost three years. He heard Jesus preach and teach; learning about the parables and stories that Jesus imparted to his followers. Peter was one of those who knew what it was like to have a good day with Jesus – and to be sure, I am positive that there were other times that Peter wished he would have done things differently during his time with Christ.
The verse for tonight is from Peter’s second epistle. We are told, in 2 Peter 3:8, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” My encouragement this evening is that the Lord wants to spend the rest of eternity with you – day after day. My prayer is that you will get to the point where you realize that time has no limits and there is no end to the love of God for you – one day at a time – have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…