“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” Psalm 13:1, NKJV (emphasis mine).
“Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” Matthew 17:17, NKJV (emphasis mine).
Traveling with young children can be a challenge, especially if the journey is long. Passing of time on the clock can feel longer than it really is, especially if the end of the journey promises something exciting. When crying out to the Lord, the psalmist sounds a little like a child in a slow-moving vehicle, asking “How long?” The young child has no concept of time, while the psalmist has no concept of eternity.
Since the beginning of time, the Scriptures prepared the nation of Israel to expect the Messiah at God’s appointed time. Clues about His coming could be found in the Scriptures and were read by the priests each Sabbath Day. This is why the Psalmist asked, “How long…”. However, when Jesus arrived, confusion and unbelief in who, what, why, and how His ministry would be fulfilled left His followers puzzled, which is why Jesus asks them, “How long?” Jesus had spent three years with His disciples, teaching, healing, and setting the stage for God’s plan of salvation. How long would they fail to recognize the very promises hoped for, now being accomplished before their very eyes?
No wonder Jesus often referred to His followers as “children.” Even today, over 2000 years since Jesus lived, died, and rose from the grave, the sentiment of “How long…” still rings true for many believers; only now, we are waiting for Jesus to return. The 2024 world in which we live has challenges like no other time in human history. Addressing every oddity in this writing is impossible but the upside-down, inside-out “days of deception” loom large all around us. We might ask, how long, Lord, before You make everything right? As always, God has given us words of encouragement, along with evidence of His fulfilled signs and promises, we need only to open our Bible’s and read them. As we wait, let us remember this: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV).
If you ask, “how long?” do not despair. You are not alone, but we can trust the One Who promises.
For deeper understanding, read 2 Peter 1-18.