Why Jehovah Show Patience?

Posted on Jul. 28, 2008 at 08.47 AM - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

"With the current injustices and sufferings that we can see around the earth today, I don't understand why God has not taken action to end all these problems", some honest hearted ones may ask. In plain speaking, Why God is so patience?

Let see what the bible has to say about this matter in 2 Peter 3:8, 9. Please notice two points expressed here that can help us to understand Jehovah’s patience. “Let this one fact not be escaping your notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.”

The first point is that Jehovah does not view time as we do. To the one who lives forever, a thousand years are as one day. He is not restrained or pressured by time. Possessing limitless wisdom, Jehovah knows precisely the best time to act for the benefit of all concerned, and he patiently waits for that time to come. However, we should not conclude that Jehovah is insensitive to any suffering that his servants may experience in the meantime. He is able to undo, completely and permanently, any harm that this temporary permission of suffering might have caused.

A second point that we can draw from Peter’s words is that Jehovah is patient because he desires all to attain to repentance. Those who stubbornly refuse to turn back from their bad ways face execution at the hand of Jehovah. However, God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked one. Rather, he delights to see people repent, turn back from their bad ways, and keep living. Consequently, he is exercising patience and is having the good news declared in all the earth so that people may have every opportunity to live.

How then, we should view the time that Jehovah still shows his patience? Let's see point of view that Peter encourage his fellow Christians to have in 2 Peter 3: 15 “Consider the patience of our Lord as salvation".

In spite of the magnitude of human disobedience, Jehovah has allowed each one of us, along with millions of other people, the opportunity to come to know him and to embrace the hope of salvation. Are we not grateful that Jehovah’s patience has opened the way to salvation for us? Do we not pray that Jehovah may continue to be patient with us as we serve him day by day?

When we understand why Jehovah is patient, we are helped to wait patiently for the salvation he will bring, never concluding that he is slow in fulfilling his promises. Let us, then, imitate the patience of Jehovah by diligently doing our part in field service.

Life is beautiful! Let's make it meaningful and colorful!