Dial Up Internet

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

We often confuse patience with slowness. We assume that someone who is patient is always calm therefore is never in a hurry. In a world of instant soup, instant grits, instant buying and instant communication, it's no wonder the concept of patience has been lost and filed away like dial up internet.

And I bet you can think of at least one time in the last year where you thought God was going too slow. You either wanted him to hurry up or you gave up waiting and took things into your own hands.

But did you finish reading the verse? God is patient, putting things on his timetable for why? For all to come to salvation. That's what this whole world is about. God making a companion for himself, that companion committing sin making himself unable to commune with God, and God sending salvation to reclaim his companions...us. God places us where he needs us in that time to make an impact in someone's life to bring them to salvation. Once that is done, we move on.

When we move on without him it causes a shift. God then has to move us back or over to finish his plan. That can be painful. Even though God may put us there he will have a way out. And we will be stronger for it.

So be patient. Sometimes that means being dial up internet. And sometimes it means moving quickly. We must be plugged into God daily so we will hear his directions.