How much time does it take for God to save a single soul? I have long maintained that time is irrelevant to the Lord when it comes to the age of people receiving His gift of Salvation. In spite of the obvious naysayers objections that being saved late in one’s life wastes so many years, I do not believe the Lord is displeased when anyone comes to Him at any age. He patiently presents the opportunity again and again to some who never will. He patiently waits for precisely the right moment to present His truth to one of advanced years who has never heard. He patiently reveals Himself in grace and mercy through the lives of believers until our stubborn hearts confess Him and receive. So how long does it take?
Do you think the thief on the cross had known about Jesus very long? Certainly he had heard and wondered but was probably not well schooled in God’s eternal plan of redemption. Yet in the last hours of his life this miserable example of humanity was saved. Church? Probably not. Baptism? Nay. Righteous in any measurable or discernable way? Are you kidding?
So how long will He wait? I suspect as long as He pleases. Remember God is not confined by time. He recorded in Genesis chapter one how He created time inside of Himself for our benefit. Even put the sun moon and stars up there so we could accurately determine the measure of time. But time is not where He intends for us to focus. He desires for us to dwell in the secret place of the most high all the days of our lives. However to Him “now” is all there is; the eternal now. He comprehends (Duh!) how we relate our existence through time. And yet He can see us as though we are already surrounding the throne singing praises to Him for the last ten thousand years. He knows all the wasted years we wallowed in sin and selfishness. He knows all the wasteful, hurtful, selfish acts we relished in AFTER He gave us that eternal precious gift. So what about you? Have you never given your heart to Him? Are you still trying to figure out how to convince Him to let you into His Heaven on your own merits? Or maybe you are His and have known His love for a while. Maybe you have been walking away from where He would like you to be. He is still God. He is still waiting. Waiting for you to return, waiting for you to come. Waiting for just a moment because outside of time is there more than just now?
How long do you imagine He will wait?