Happy first day of the rest of your life!

Happy New Year to you! Today’s a fresh new day of a fresh new year. Cool huh? People reflecting on the last 365 days and looking forward with hopes and dreams for the next 365. Some regret the last 365 and scheme about the next 365. Others do a little of both.

The calendar. Many exist and their contexts determine their format. We currently use the Gregorian calendar (pretty cool because my last name is Gregory) which numerically centers on the incarnation of Jesus (fantastically cool because he’s my Lord). Our calendar is tied to the astronomical movement of our solar system and mathematical science (sorry, but once again cool because God created the universe, all the laws of physics, and enabled man to develop mathematical systems).

Although an infinite person, God created time. Yet he is outside of the demands and controls of time, he himself controlling it. What a seeming paradox. But God does not contradict himself. Allow yourself to think about how God thinks about time. He says in 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

It’s interesting to read the context in which this particular verse is written. Peter has just discussed “scoffers” expounding their doubts of God in the last days. These scoffers don’t have the benefit of being able to understand God, his ways, and his Scriptures because they are blinded by the enemy of their souls and the Holy Spirit isn’t present in their lives to enable them to “be transformed by the renewing of their mind” by God’s truth (Romans 12:2).

In contrast to that blindness, Peter goes on to refer to God’s control of events, changing the atmosphere to one of eternal perspective, and reminds his readers, his “friends”, that our God does not view time in the same way of those ridiculers. Continuing on, he exhorts us to live lives of holiness and peace with God and to crave our future heavenly home.

In this amazing section of Scripture, we see the viewpoint of those in critical opposition to God in contrast to the works of God in the past, present, and future. Christ-followers are reminded that God’s patience allows more time for people to be reconciled to him through the cross. There’s a warning to beware of those that take God’s truth and twist and distort it and an urging to grow via the grace and knowledge of our King.

Remember that somewhat corny saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”? Perhaps it’s gotten a bad rap. After all, isn’t it true? We are eternal beings and will live forever. Some with God and some not.

2 Peter 3 is a cool passage to spotlight on this first day of 2009. I came to it via verse 3:18 and one thing lead to another. What great truths to turn in our heads and hearts as we begin a new unit of time in which to serve our timeless God, who gives us eternity with him through the blood of Jesus. Have a great day and have a great rest of your life by way of the Way.