2 Peter 3:5-8 

⁵But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. ⁶By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. ⁸But 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.

Reminisce

            If you were to reminisce the past, if you are to remember the past, what memorable experience comes to mind that may seem like only yesterday? Many older people may love to remember their high school days, days of escapades. And first year students may struggle in their university studies, why? Is it because they are still nostalgically thinking, reminiscing their good old days in high school?

            Reminiscing the past may feel good. Remembering the good old days can be valuable and productive as we practice our faith in Christ. How could that be?

King Jehoshaphat

            When their enemies prepared to attack, King Jehoshaphat was alarmed. All the men of Judah, with their wives and children stood before the Lord. Then, King Jehoshaphat stood and prayed before the assembly in 2 Chronicles 20:6-12:

⁶Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ⁷Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ⁸They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ⁹‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

            ¹⁰But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹²Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

            God is mighty powerful. King Jehoshaphat proclaimed before the assembly that God had driven out the Canaanites before their ancestors. He appealed for similar intervention of the Lord against possible invasion from their enemies. And, God granted his prayer; their enemies were confused and annihilated each other.

            If we remember always the great things that God has done in our life, will he answer our prayers to amplify our faith in him? What do you say? It’s not wise to deliberately forget or disregard biblical proofs of the mighty power of God.

1.  Disregard

⁵But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. ⁶By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

            The elements of darkness may deceive anyone, if possible, even believers. Scoffers jeer at the promise of Christ for his return; “Everything goes on as it has been since the beginning of creation,” they say. They deliberately disregard what happened in history. Disregard of righteousness was deliberate before the great flood in the time of Noah. Do you believe that God sent the great flood to deluge and destroy all living creatures, except those who entered the ark with Noah?

Remember this: Opinions or arguments cannot dictate the Lord. God has perfect divine timing for everything. The Lord actively observes every person; he rewards believers who diligently obey his instruction. He takes note of anyone who may deliberately disregard him. How do you interpret Proverbs 15:3? ³The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

King Asa

Do you agree that it is better to learn from other’s mistakes? Let’s learn from the mistakes of the Israelites; they were especially chosen holy to the Lord. The northern kingdom of Israel had prepared to invade the southern kingdom of Judah. Asa king of Judah was alarmed, and he sought help from the king of Aram to confuse the kingdom of Israel. It had been narrated in 2 Chronicles 16:7-10: ⁷At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” ¹⁰Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

King Asa had disregarded the Lord when he sought help from the king of Aram. Instead of listening to God’s warning, King Asa punished Hanani the seer.

Deliberate disregard of warning from the Lord has eternal consequences.

It’s biblical: expect oppression whenever you deliver a warning from God. Problems and difficulties should cause us to seek deliverance from the Lord.

When we prioritize other things, is it considered as disregard of the Lord?

The Lord is gracious, and he cares for us. He warns us against complacency in Zephaniah 1:12: ¹² I will punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’

We should not take chances regarding our eternal situation. To deliberately ignore the warning against complacency is regrettable choice forever. The Lord is faithful and just. He rewards diligent obedience to his instructions. Personally, do you expect that at the Judgment Day, faithful believers will receive rewards from the Lord, and others will be transported into eternal destruction of the ungodly?

2.  Destruction

⁷By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

            Do you believe that temporary sufferings are fraction of eternal sufferings?

Natural or man-made disaster may confuse and challenge our faith in the Lord. At the proper time that God has decreed, everyone will leave this world eventually.

            Are you disturbed by warnings of death, the end of the world or Judgment Day? Reflect on this and try to sense it from your heart: When you hear a possible nuclear war or destruction of this world, are you alarmed? Are you scared? Are you confused? Do you sense tranquil peace? What does that mean to our faith?

            Personally, how should we explain what is declares in Ecclesiastes 3:11? ¹¹God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

            There are contrasting reactions about eternal realities: believe by faith and deliberate disregard. Enemies of God may logically argue about him. It is not by personal views; it’s not by arguments but by faith, we believe God. Logical reason or sincere opinion cannot make anyone believe God. It is futile effort and foolish to argue against anyone who deliberately disregards practical evidences of God.

            By faith, we believe that Jesus Christ takes us into heaven when he returns.

Ask yourself: How can I practically prove that I personally trust Jesus Christ?

Have you tried similar activities that you may have observed from other believers, just to prove your faith? Should God do similar miracles that others experienced?

Elisha

            Let’s learn from Prophet Elisha. Elisha followed Prophet Elijah until he was taken into heaven. How do you internalize what was narrated in 2 Kings 2:8-14: ⁸Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. ⁹When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

¹⁰“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” ¹¹As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹²Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. ¹³Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

            Trivia: How many times did God divided a body of water and people walked on dry ground? Four times: One, when Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry ground; two, when Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground; three, when Elijah struck the Jordan River; and four, when Elisha performed what Elijah did. Four times should be enough proof that God miraculously divided a body of water.

            Why did Elisha strike the water the way Elijah did? Well, Elisha asked for a difficult thing: a double portion of the spirit that Elijah had. To practically prove that he received what he asked, he struck the water, and indeed, it was divided.

That was a biblical record that the Lord may grant it when we ask him a similar prayer item that we may see or observe from other believers. Agree?

            Is there any biblical passage that should hinder praying for similar prayer items of others? Nevertheless, God may grant items similar to what he gave to others, but it is most likely that the Lord prefers unique experience for everyone.

            God has unlimited creativity of what he can do. The Lord has created us very differently and uniquely. It practically testifies to the eternal wisdom and mighty power of God. Anyway, others may still deliberately disregard the Lord.

Deliberate disregard of God makes no difference on his plan for everyone.

3.  Difference

⁸But 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.

           Deliberate disregard of the return of Christ makes no difference. Christ will certainly fulfill what he promised. When Christ promised to return sooner, do you have expectation that he will return in our generation? We pray for it but the will of God prevails. Let’s meditate on what had been declared in Numbers 23:19: ¹⁹God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

            Expectation for Christ’s advent should inspire us to store up eternal treasure in heaven. Our mandate is to testify on how Christ transformed us. When we tell others about the transformational work of Christ in our life, we store up eternal treasures for ourselves. Christ Jesus had instructed in Matthew 6:19-21: ¹⁹Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Relocate

Thieves are everywhere. Surely, you heard the news about thieves who steal merchandise and destroy properties. There are numerous online videos as proof. There are not enough effort made to stop those brazen shoplifters and thieves. Investors are frustrated, and they are relocating their companies.

Anywhere, bad elements may steal and destroy. If we seriously take the warning of Christ against thieves who may steal treasures from oblivious victims, thieves should not find us negligent. Anyway, will it be granted if we pray that God keep us safe and secure including material things we have? God may answer our prayer if it is essential to our testimony of his grace and love for us. May we testify like Psalm 62:5-7: ⁵My soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. ⁶Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. ⁷My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

            To secure properties is smart, but to store up eternal treasure for ourselves in heaven is biblical obedience to Christ, and he may return sooner. Be prepared.

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day!

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