My dad had my back. That was just the fact of my life growing up. Whatever I tried, whatever I got wrong, he was in my corner before I even had to ask. I never had to wonder whether someone was for me.
Not everybody gets that, and I know it. But it taught me something: when you know somebody is for you, you carry things differently. You are not bracing all the time.
That is what Jude is saying to us, and it goes further than any earthly father could.
I, Jude, am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James, writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; receive and open your hearts, love is on the way!
In Jude 1:1-2, Jude provides us an incredible series of reminders of reassurance that no matter how stressful our troubles are, the life storms we face, or the feelings of desperation and loss of hope we are experiencing, God has things completely under control.
Jude says to those who are loved by God the Father, and to those who are called and kept safe by Jesus Christ, your salvation brings blessed and complete assurance. You are loved, you are called, and you are kept safe by Jesus Christ.
And because we are loved, called, and kept safe in Christ, we can remember that we can:
Relax, because in Jesus Christ, everything is going to be alright.
Rest, because in Jesus Christ, everything is going to come together.
Receive, because when you open your heart to Jesus Christ, you can know that His love is on the way.
This week, let’s take comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ is in complete control. He loves us, He has called us, and we are kept safe in Him. We can relax, rest, and receive all we need in Him.
If this one met you where you are, Running on Fumes? sits right beside it. And Refilling the Farming Tank comes at rest from the farm side of things.
#FarmSunday #Devotional #Jude #RelaxRestReceive
Scripture quotation adapted from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
