What Do Scoffers Choose to Forget? | 2 Peter 3:5–7

Welcome to The Daily. HEADS UP: We are going to fly through 2 Peter 3 this week, and then Jude, which is a one-chapter letter in the same Journal. But our next study is Esther. I have titled this one, FOR SUCH A TIME: Courage When God Seems Silent. Grab the Esther Journal now. If you are a Project23 donor giving $35/month or more, do not purchase one; we have already sent this to you in the mail. Our text today is 2 Peter 3:5-7: For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. — 2 Peter 3:5-7 The scoffers here claim that everything has continued unchanged since creation. Because judgment has not come yet, they assume it never will. But Peter says they are deliberately overlooking the facts and the evidence. The world has not always continued as it is now. God spoke creation into existence, and in Noah's day, he brought judgment through the flood. The same God that formed the world also maintains its future. God has not lost control of what he created. The stability of the present can make us forget this. The sun rises, schedules fill, bills arrive, and life moves forward. Because tomorrow often looks like today, we begin treating temporary things as though they are all there is. I can easily do this myself. I invest attention, energy, and emotion in things that will not last while neglecting what has eternal value. A full calendar, like mine, can create the illusion that the present world is all that matters. But Peter reminds us that history is not moving in loops. It is moving toward a day God has already appointed. The world exists by his Word. The world is sustained by his Word. And judgment will come according to his Word. This does not mean the things of this time are worthless. God made everything we see, and we should steward it faithfully. But possessions, achievements, platforms, and earthly influence will not endure forever. People will endure. God's Word will for sure endure. And the kingdom of Christ will endure. What we should do is examine what receives your best time and deepest affection. Are you building your life around what seems permanent, or around what God says is eternal? The scoffers deliberately forget what God has done because remembering it would force them to face what God has promised. Do not make the mistake the scoffers do. God spoke the world into existence and has not lost authority over how it ends. Remember what scoffers choose to forget! DO THIS: Review how you spent your time, attention, and money yesterday. Choose one investment that was focused only on temporary concerns, and redirect something today toward an eternal priority: God's Word, prayer, generosity, obedience, or a person who needs Christ. ASK THIS: Why does the apparent stability of the world make God's coming judgment easy to ignore? What temporary concern has been receiving too much of your attention? What would change if you truly believed your present choices carry eternal significance? PRAY THIS: God, keep me from treating temporary things as permanent, and teach me to invest my life in what will matter in eternity. Amen PLAY THIS: Only a Holy God.