2 Peter 3:7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
God's Word is powerful to create and sustain all things, whether in the material or the spiritual realms. It is powerful to accomplish all His purposes. It is also powerful to establish with certainty all that is to come.
In our text, Peter tells us that (by God's word) the present heavens and earth are being reserved for the Day of Judgment. The word has the sense of hoarding up, as one would do with treasure or something of great value.
Just as God spoke and brought all things into being out of nothing, He has also spoken and determined irrevocably what He will do with the present created order when His purposes of redemption are complete. It is impossible for us to comprehend a Being of such power, whose very word is an irresistible force that accomplishes His objectives for the visible universe and for the invisible, spiritual realm also. We also must understand that the achievement of these goals and objectives is not difficult for Him. He does not make himself tired, not does He in any way weaken Himself by forming a universe, or by purging it with the fires of judgment.
To have this God as our enemy, as we do in the condition of our birth into this world, is a fearful thing indeed, for then the judgment and destruction of ungodly men that Peter speaks of is our judgment and our destruction too. But to have Him as our heavenly Father - because we have turned from our sins and trusted in Jesus alone to save us - can there be any security to compare with this? Little children sometimes boast to their friends about their earthly fathers' skills and achievements. God's children have a father who can summon a universe into being, sustain it in existence and reserve it for righteous judgment, and all by the power of His word! If we are His children today, that same invincible word will work to our eternal salvation - it is established with certainty.
There are many promises concerning the future glory and blessing of His children that God has made for them to benefit from and to enjoy. Their fulfillment is secured and established by the same Word of power, and they are written down in the Bible where we may so easily access them and marvel at them. God tells us that as many promises as He has made, they are all "Amen" in Christ! If we never read the Bible, though, we shall never know these things and we shall live our lives as spiritual paupers and cripples. Let's renew our determination to read this wonderful word in this coming week!
