Time Flies . . . And Drags On - The One Year Father-Daughter Devotions

Time Flies . . . and Drags On

The girl couldn’t believe it. After she’d prayed for years to hear God’s voice, his Spirit showed up in her room one night.

“Lord, I’ve always wanted to ask you a question,” she said. “Lord, I know you’re not bound by time. What is a thousand years like for you?”

“For me a thousand years is like a second,” God answered.

“What about money?” the girl said. “What would a million dollars be to you?”

“For me a million dollars is like a penny,” God said.

Hmmmm, the girl thought. “Lord, I have just one more question: Can you give me a penny?”

“No problem,” God said. “But you’ll have to wait a second.”

Obviously, that story is a joke . . . and not a very good one. But it illustrates an important point. We relate to time very differently from God. We’re so impatient that it bothers us to wait for microwave popcorn to pop. God can patiently wait thousands of years for his plans to come to fruition. God is beyond time. But in 2 Peter 3, the apostle Peter explains that in spite of how slow God seems to be, he can always be trusted to do what he says. Peter knew people would mock God because Jesus hadn’t come back yet. Even the early Christians thought Jesus would be coming back really soon . . . and he is.

Peter knew that God doesn’t view time the same way we do. To God, a day is like a thousand years, yet a thousand years would be like a day. Time doesn’t affect God the same way it affects us. When we get impatient, we need to keep trusting God, regardless of how long he takes to bring about his plans.

Daddy-Daughter Time

Talk about the weeks leading up to and since Christmas. Did the days go faster before or after Christmas? Ask your dad if that feeling was the same when he was a boy.

The next time you get impatient about one of God’s promises, remember that he always has a plan. Maybe he’s just waiting for somebody else to follow him.

What’s The Word?

You must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.   2 Peter 3:8-9