In this passage, we’re reminded that while we wait for Christ’s return and for God to fulfill His promises, we’re called to live with peace, holiness, and trust. Peter’s comment that some of Paul’s writings are “hard to understand” comforts us — even one of the apostles wrestled with Scripture — and it shows how seriously the early church already regarded Paul’s letters. Peter’s core message is that what feels like God’s delay is actually His mercy: every day Christ hasn’t returned is another day for salvation, growth, and grace to take root in our lives. As we wait, we’re invited to ask ourselves whether we’re truly at peace with God’s timing, His answers, or even His silence. And if we find that peace difficult, our prayer can simply be, “Lord, we believe — help our unbelief.” We’re encouraged to trust His patience, trust His plan, and allow His deep, sustaining peace to guide us as we continue growing together in grace.

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Good morning, y’all.
It’s good to be with you on this Thursday morning as we continue walking together through this Advent season.

So, a quick confession — I realized I made a little mistake yesterday. The Advent devotional book we’re using this year, Advent 2025: A Calendar of Devotions — the little booklet we have all over the church for you to grab — actually split the passage I read yesterday into two days. And since I preached on that same passage Sunday, I really should’ve saved the back half for today… but I didn’t. I got ahead of myself.

So today, instead of repeating the wrong section or trying to backtrack, we’re going to dip into the daily lectionary and read one of the passages suggested for today. Then tomorrow we’ll jump back into our regular devotional guide.

Today’s reading comes from 2 Peter 3:11–18 — the final words of the letter:

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2 Peter 3:11–18 (NRSV)

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?
But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish,
and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.
So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
speaking of this as he does in all his letters.
There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

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This little closing section is full of good stuff, but let me start with something that just always makes me smile.

Peter — the Peter, the rock of the church, the one who preached at Pentecost — says this about Paul’s letters:

“There are some things in them that are hard to understand.”

I love that.

Even Peter struggled to understand Paul sometimes.
If Peter scratched his head at Romans or Galatians, it’s okay if you and I do too. That’s comforting. Scripture is deep. It takes time. And we’re in good company when we wrestle with it.

But that little comment also shows something else important:
Even in the early church, Paul’s writings were already regarded as Scripture.
Peter places them right alongside the Old Testament. That’s how seriously the early Christians took Paul’s teaching.

Now, all that is helpful background — but the heart of the passage fits perfectly with what we talked about yesterday regarding the coming of the Lord.

Peter says, essentially:
“Since we’re waiting… how should we live?”

While we wait for the Lord’s return, while we wait for the restoration of all things, while we wait for the new heavens and the new earth — how should we live?

He says:

• Be found at peace.
• Be without spot or blemish.
• Regard the patience of the Lord as salvation.

That last line is so important.

“Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.”

We may grow impatient with God — whether we’re waiting on His promised return or waiting on Him in our personal lives.

“Lord, it’s been 2,000 years — aren’t You coming yet?”
“Lord, I’m praying and praying and I don’t see change.”
“Lord, when are You going to answer?”

But Peter says: the very patience of God — the delay — is actually an act of mercy.

Every day Jesus doesn’t return is another day for someone to hear the gospel.
Every day His answer to our prayers hasn’t come yet is another day for us to grow, to rely on Him more deeply, to be shaped more fully by His grace.

The delay, frustrating as it feels, is actually God’s work of salvation.

And because of that, Peter says:

Be at peace.
Trust Him.
Trust His timing.
Trust His plan.

Trusting intellectually is one thing — we all say we trust God.
Trusting practically, trusting with our heart and our patience and our circumstances — well, that’s the real work of faith.

So today, let me ask you:

Are you at peace?
Are you at peace with what God is doing?
Are you at peace with His timing?
Are you at peace with His answers — or His silence?

If not, maybe our prayer today is that old familiar one:
“Lord, I believe — help my unbelief.”

May we trust His patience.
May we trust His plan.
May we grow in grace and knowledge.
May we live as people ready to meet Him.
And may His peace — not the world’s temporary comfort, but His peace — settle deeply in our souls.

Thanks for being with me today.
We’ll pick up tomorrow with our reading from the Advent devotional guide.
I hope you’re enjoying walking through these Scriptures together.

Have a great day, and I’ll see you in the morning.