This week we begin worship with:
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
The Beatitudes are often read quickly and forgotten (Matthew 5:1-10). The first and the last are different from the others and the difference is often missed. The middle six are a blessing received in the future. The first and the last are a blessing received today!
The first reads:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
When we approach Him with nothing in our hands, he instantly gives us citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. This is not after a test. This is not after we atone. This is not after we become perfect. This is when we become poor.
Back to today's verse.
When explaining God's patience, Peter explains that God is being patient with us. We are the slow bit. We don't want to be poor. We want to continue our own way. He is patiently waiting for us to reach the place, where we turn around.
When we do, He is right behind us, with arms open wide. For, there is no distance between the Gates of Hell, and the Kingdom of Heaven.
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