God’s Time in Context

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2Peter 3:8)

I recently thought more than casually over this verse.

Everybody knows that with God a day is like a thousand years.

But have you ever considered the other aspect; that a thousand years is like one day?

With the first part we can comfortably demonstrate that God is never in a hurry. That He will somehow come through because His timetable is not like ours.

I want us to look at the other aspect. How can we squeeze a thousand years into one day?

How many days are in a thousand years? How many hours? How many seconds?

1000x365.25x24x60x60=31,557,600,000 seconds

One thousand years is therefore equivalent to a day which is 60x60x24 seconds

Meaning that one day is equivalent to 365,250 days

One second is equivalent to 365,250 seconds which is equivalent to 4.227 days or four days and five hours.

If God can stretch one second into four days and five hours, how does that explain God’s timing? How does it explain the accuracy of His moving?

And what does that seemingly most contradictory verse mean to us?

The first statement I will make is one we all agree on; that God is eternal. Meaning that He is not bound by time.

But in practical terms we can comfortably state that He does not operate by time the way we do.

This will help us appreciate the fact that God’s realm uses time differently from us.

And we need to know that to understand God and His dealings with man.

Let me give an example.

David was a warrior, or soldier if that is what you will take.

Fitness therefore was part and parcel of his being.

Yet why do we find him completely aged at seventy yet people with military backgrounds are still very strong at eighty?

It is because God operates by assignments. David at seventy had completed his assignment and so was completely ‘finished’.

Enoch, according to his times, departed when he had barely lived for the same reason

All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. (Ecclesiastes 7:15)

God wants each of us to accomplish our assignment, giving us innumerable chances to help us reconnect to it as we see in 2^nd Peter 3: 8.

Interestingly, as we read the scriptures, we realize that those spiritually attuned were able to know when their assignment was complete; from Jacob to David to Paul to Peter.

Sadly, very few in our generation have the capacity for the same.

Do you know your assignment?

The second aspect is the one of seasons. God operates in seasons and not time as we know it. And those seasons are related to those assignments.

Seasons are the tools God uses to prepare us to complete our assignments.

Joseph moved from favorite son to slave to prisoner to prime minister to prophet, with each season preparing him for his ultimate assignment.

Do we know our assignment?

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:13)

That is God’s assignment for each of us, with each given a different set of tasks to accomplish it.

That, incidentally, is what He will use to judge us when many think the judgment will be based on what we have done. Of course, I must have a place for probably my most quoted and sobering verses.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7: 21 – 23)

Doing anything outside of my assignment is called wickedness however godly or evangelistic it may appear to be.

‘Well done’ and ‘depart from Me’ are two sides of the coin called judgment. And the yardstick is our assignment.

Like I like to say, God is the only holder of the marking scheme.

Our assignments are time bound, only that it is God’s time that is being used.

A person can therefore complete his assignment at ten while another is plucked prematurely at a hundred.

And I will be in my assignment when like Enoch I constantly walk with God.

How do I do it?

I will dwell in His word and prayer. I will not be diverted by anything, even things associated with and appearing as coming from God.

Once again, what is your assignment? How far are you progressing in the same?