A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin.

⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. ¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Today’s sermon talked about three types of promises: unconditional, conditional, and broken. A conditional promise might be to your children: “If you behave when we visit Aunt Debby, then we will go for ice cream afterwards.” That used to be a good parenting technique, it has been so long since I was in that role, I am not sure if it still works. A broken promise is not necessarily intentional, let’s say you coach little league and you promised the team that you would take them to the street carnival. But before you can get the trip scheduled, you find the carnival has moved on. I am going to guess though, as a good coach, you will find a suitable alternative to do with your team. Unconditional promise, is that which is talked about in our Epistle today. We do not ever have to doubt it; He will return.   Because His return is certain, there is work to be done. He has offered us salvation through His saving Grace. He has called us to spread the Gospel of repentance and salvation.