Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.  – 2 Peter 3:3‭-‬7

Today’s passage seems to be addressing the understandable doubts of believers who are anxious for Jesus to return within their lifetime.  It is easy to get so caught up in anticipating heavenly things that we are no earthly good.  Similarly, it is easy to get so caught up in earthly things that we are no heavenly good.  The trick is balance between these two eschatological extremes.

The author is reassuring the recipients of this letter that there will always be doubters.  Those who say “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  They seem to be channeling the author of Ecclesiastes, everything in life is meaningless – turn turn turn.

These followers are apparently deliberately forgetting something they intuitively know – “they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” They a forgetting that God’s Word, the Logos or reason that underlies everything, is at the beginning and end of all that we see and know. Formed out of water and by water. This confirms my experience as I have undertaken this blog that God is like water. God is everywhere and always in motion. It is only us “cave dwellers” that are fixed in space and time. We are like a stagnant pond in relation to the rushing waters that typify God.

God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the headwaters and the mouth of a great river that no one can cross. He is both the source and the destination that all of our souls seek. The same God who brought judgement in the time of Noah, delivered grace through Jesus.

The same God will preside over a day of judgement, “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” No matter how it appears at the moment, in the end God wins. All waters that allow themselves to flow to the sea will find their home there.

Prayer: God You are the beginning and the end. We have only to accept your grace and we will be able to join You at the end of all things.