G. Archer Frierson
Austin Seminary Board of Trustees
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Advent Devotional for December 4
• 2 Peter 3:1-10
I think the scoffers make a good point. I mean: How long can we Christians go on like this? Every Advent we hear the promise that Christ will come, and everything will be better. But do we ever actually get any closer to “peace on earth” and “good will to all”? We’ve been praying for 2000 years for God’s Kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven.” So where is it, already? How long shall we keep waiting? Praying? Hoping?
The scoffers suggest we should have given up long ago. Nothing has changed since the world was created, they say, so why expect anything to change now? There is an old adage that says the secret to happiness is to set one’s expectations low. If we let go of hope, we can avoid disappointment. But this is not the way Christians are called to live. We are called to set our expectations high; to risk disappointment; to believe in and to watch for God’s inconceivable promises to be fulfilled.
Peter gives us tips for how to do this. First, he notes that many things have changed since the world was created—the earth was destroyed by flood, for example, and then restored. Second, Peter explains that God experiences time differently than we do. From the perspective of eternity, God is not slow to respond (v.9). This might not lessen our frustration as time-bound creatures, but it does give us another avenue to ponder. Third, Peter reflects on why God is taking time to fulfill God’s promises. God “does not want any to perish,” he says, “but all to come to repentance” (v. 9). In contrast to the days of Noah, when scoffers were summarily drowned, God is this time waiting patiently for everyone to hope in the covenant made with all creation (see Genesis 9:17).
It is scary to expect that this world, with all our uncovered deeds, will be burned away. May we set our hopes high nonetheless, trusting God to create a new heaven and earth where all will be at peace.
The Reverend Dr. Cynthia L. Rigby
The W.C. Brown Professor of Theology
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.We hope that you are preparing the way for the Lord in your life as you read these meditations and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season is a meaningful one for you. Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you. Did you know?
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