Read Jude 1:1-25
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
before his glorious throne without fault and with great joy…”
(Jude 1:24)
Thoughts… Today as I write this blog, I am traveling at 35,000 feet over the continent of Africa, over the Mediterranean, over several nations of Europe, and will land sometime later in London, England. And I am celebrating a milestone in my life: I turn fifty-years-old today.
A half-century. Five decades. Halfway to a hundred, for crying out loud! 100—sounds kind of old, doesn’t it! I used to think fifty was old. Now I know that fifty is the new thirty.
Seriously, certain birthdays cause you to stop and think about some very important things: Where you have been and the footprints you have left for others to follow in; if you have been spending your one and only life well; what kind of legacy you will leave. And one of the things you cannot help think about it is how much time God has allotted you before he calls you home.
Sometimes I worry about those things. That’s natural. But mostly, I am thankful that God will write the final chapter of my life. This life is not all up to me; God is at work to make something of my life. That is what is Jude writing about.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God is doing everything he can—which is a lot, by the way; more than enough—to keep you from messing up. And one day, he will present you before his throne and you will stand there perfect—without fault. And he will accomplish that for you, not because he feels pity for you, but he will do it joyfully and with great celebration. God has guaranteed your victory.
Wrap you mind around that promise, if you can. God has guaranteed a win for your life—the biggest, most important, ultimate victory of all. And whether you are having a birthday or not, allow that guarantee to give you a great day!
Prayer… Father, thanks for the guarantee! I will walk in confidence today knowing that my standing before you and my eternal life is not all up to me—it is up to you!
One More Thing… “We are to be re-made. All the rabbit in us is to disappear—the worried, conscientious, ethical rabbit as well as the cowardly and sensual rabbit. We shall bleed and squeal as the handfuls of fur come out; and then, surprisingly, we shall find underneath it all a thing we have never yet imagined: a real Man, an ageless god, a son of God, strong, radiant, wise, beautiful, and drenched in joy.”
—C.S. Lewis
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