Space to Repent

“The Lord … is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

The period of time when God deals with souls is called a “space to repent” in Revelation 2:21. Think of God’s forbearance with Israel. After they turned their back on God again and again, the longsuffering of God came to an end “But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16). “He gave her space to repent … and she repented not.”

But not so with the men of Nineveh. When judgment was pronounced upon them with only forty days of warning, the cry of God’s prophet was heeded. They “believed God,” and cried mightily unto Him (Jonah 3:5-9). God gave Nineveh “space to repent,” and she repented.

Let us ask you, dear reader, have you yet been brought to true repentance, or are you filling up this longsuffering “space” of time with hardness and unbelief? If so, we would urge you to pause and solemnly consider how you stand with God.

God has graciously granted you this time to turn to Him and trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Lord said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3). May it never be said of you in the day of judgment, “I gave her [or him] space to repent … and she [or he] repented not.”

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). —Adapted