The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. II Peter 3: 9,10
We are feeling the results of Joaquin here in the Upstate of SC. Our talking about the weather always begins, "Have you built your boat yet?" It's not just wet yards and flooded sidewalks. Creeks and rivers are out of their banks. Roads are closed and the deluge continues. But one day next week there will be sunshine and rainbows. I know this because God's promise when He sent the rainbow, was to never flood the earth again. He didn't say He wouldn't destroy the earth again, just that next time it wouldn't be water.
Noah didn't build an ark in a few weeks or months. It probably took over a hundred years. During that time he was warning the people of the destruction to come. His great grandfather, Enoch even prophesied the flood when he named his son Methuselah. One of the meanings of Methuselah is that "when he is gone judgement will come." Methuselah died the year of the flood. Methuselah's son was Lamech and Lamech named Noah, whose name means "rest". The earth did have rest from wickedness when the flood came, but until that time a family spent hundreds of years trying to warn people to turn from their wickedness and seek God. God was not being slack by asking that family to preach hundreds of years. He was being longsuffering, merciful, not will that any should perish. We don't know if anyone listened during those hundreds of years, but we do know when Noah and his family entered the ark, all that were to be saved were inside.
God is not being slack now. I'm thinking we may be the ones who are slack. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. Who are our neighbors? We are commanded to love one another. Are we in fellowship with the Christians around us? We are commanded to love our enemies. How's that work? Though we speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, we are nothing. Charity - love in action. How are our actions demonstrating love? God is not slack concerning His promises. When He comes He will destroy the earth with fire. We have no idea how long that will be. So even if it takes hundreds of years, will He find us working, loving, warning the lost of the day of destruction?
Even as Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah worked hundreds of years preaching the coming destruction, so must we be diligent in telling others that destruction is coming and there is only one way out. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Him.
Blessings on your work in Christ this week,
Gail
Hey Kids,
Do you know what your name means? Have your parents told you why they chose your special name? Who are the people in your family who have sought to serve the Lord? How did they accomplish that service? You might want to do a little family history research this week. You may be surprised at the wonderful things you discover. Please feel welcome to share your discoveries with us.
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