Devotion, March 12, 2021

Keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 1:21). 

The admonition to keep yourselves in the love of God implies that we can remove ourselves from the love of God. The Greek word for “keep” is “Tareo.” It means to guard, to retain, to obey. It is the act of guarding a person or idea so that escape is impossible. We are to hold on to the love of God for dear life! We entered the love of God when we trusted in Jesus.  We exit the love of God when faith ceases. Jude wants us to hold on to God’s love so firmly that escape is impossible. When we begin to doubt that God loves us, we are on thin ice. 

After being told to hold tightly to God’s love, we are then admonished to be patient.  We are to wait patiently for eternal life. That is a gift given to us by the mercy of God revealed in the death of Jesus. Living as Jesus’ disciple can be difficult. It is essential to understand this reality. Thus, we are admonished to hold on to our faith and love tenaciously and to be patient as we wait for God to bring His program to a final reality. Are we up to the challenge? 

Father in heaven, I want to be a faithful disciple. I want to remain in Your love. I want to be a patient Christian as I wait for eternal life. I know that with Your help, I can be faithful. Thank You for Your love. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.