Speedy Delivery?

In a recent post, we mentioned how poker players (and all people, for that matter) someday will see Jesus Christ face-to-face. We included some provocative words from the New Testament:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.... You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. - II Peter 3:10, 12

Really? How can our lives speed the coming of the "day of God"? After all, these words were written to believers more than 1,900 years ago. Yet that day hasn't come yet.

Some versions of the NIV Bible translate "speed its coming" as "wait eagerly." The American Standard Version has "earnestly desiring" God's Kingdom to come. One lexicon compares the Greek word here to an Old Testament verse:

...Then God will establish one of David's descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right. - Isaiah 16:5 (NLT)

In other words, believers live with anticipation for the second coming of Jesus. In fact, they're supposed to pray for it:

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:9-10 (NLT)

This famous prayer is not really supposed to be a Christian mantra (verse 7). It's supposed to be a longing - something that has believers preparing themselves every day for it. Are you one of them?