God promised Noah that He was going to destroy the earth with a flood and only those who were prepared would be saved. Noah began preparations by building the ark, and “during the construction of the ark,” “the patience of God kept waiting” (1 Pet. 3:21). Notice the tense of that verb. The patience (or longsuffering) of God–for people lost in sin to repent and turn to Him–kept 
on waiting and waiting and waiting. God wanted so much for them to be saved!
That same word is used about our present day. “The Lord…is longsuffering toward us” continually and persistently (as evidenced by the tense of the verb) (2 Pet. 3:9). And, how should we interpret the “longsuffering” of God? How should we interpret the delay in Christ’s coming? We must “consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (2 Pet. 3:15). Like in the days of Noah, the Lord has warned that He is going to destroy the earth one day. And now, the Lord is waiting and waiting and waiting to send Christ, because He wants everyone to be saved! Have you responded to the longsuffering of God toward you?