Advent Devotional November 29, 2026

Scripture

2 Peter 3:1-10

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you 2 that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. 3 First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!” 5 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, 6 through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Devotion

The Rev. Kelsy N. Brown Gunther '10, Board Member

Advent is about patience. It is supposed to be a season of waiting and watching for what God is doing in our lives. For four weeks, we pause and patiently wait in anticipation of our Savior, who comes to be God with us. We wait for Jesus—the one who moves into the neighborhood—to arrive.

I don’t know about your house, but ours feels anything but patient during the Advent season. It is filled with the hustle and bustle of decorating our home, singing Christmas carols, and making Christmas cookies. We make sure the presents have been purchased, wrapped, and stored neatly under the tree. We anticipate the mischief of our elves Rosie and Ralph each night, and, of course, we count down the days until Christmas comes.

When Peter writes this text, he reminds the church to be patient because God is patient, faithfully waiting for us to follow. What seems slow to us is much more deliberate than we might think. Peter is writing about the long wait for Jesus’ second coming, but during Advent, we wait for the birth of Jesus in much the same way. We watch and wait to see what God is doing right now. It might not look exactly like we expect, and it might take longer than we think it should, but God is at work. God’s plan for Jesus’ coming was unfolding long before the earth was formed.

I need this reminder regularly, especially in this busy season, because I am not patient. I want answers right away. I hope for a road map showing me how things are going to go in future. And when I think that God could move a little faster, I often step in with my own plans for how I am going to get the work completed in a timely manner.

Practice patience today. Watch for what God is doing, and remember how patiently our Savior waits for us.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, help us to be patient. Help us to watch for what You are doing in our lives right now as signs of what You will do in the future. Amen.

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