2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The context for this promise of ”longsuffering” toward us is conversation about when the end of the world is coming. Is Jesus coming again soon or not? Why is God waiting so long for the coming of the End? What does ”I come quickly” and ”soon”mean? What’s the reason for the 2000 year delay?
First of all, Time to God and to humans is counted differently (one day is as a thousand years). Timing is everything to the Lord and He always does everything at the right time.” It may seem to us that God’s timing is off, but His time is always precise. We may not like it but we can believe that God’s will and God’s way and God’s time are always perfect. He knows what He’s doing, and when, and He is acting for our eternal good.
But the reason given for the seeming delay is the longsuffering, or patience, of God toward us. God is love, and His will is that all people will have time to come to repentance, faith, and salvation. His love demands that He will be patient with sinners and give them time to repent. He also allows more time so that more people might be born with opportunity to enter the kingdom.
The more personal aspect of this “patience” promise is that will be patient with us while He is developing our character. It takes time to grow us into the persons He wants us to become. And God is patient with us when we stumble and fall and get up again. He does not give up on us. And His will for us to come to repentance remains unchanged.