perseverance — Devotions — Kristine Brown, Author

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Jude 1:20-21 ESV

Disasters.

Defiance.

Temptations.

Trials.

When I look at our world today, it’s easy to get a bad case of discouragement. Seeing a news story that makes my heart sink. Watching relationships damaged and broken. Hearing the faithless with shattered spirits utter the word no each time God knocks on their heart’s door.

It’s enough to dump a heaping load of darkness in even the most joyful day.

Yet in the midst of the misery, God's Word remains true.

Even before we knew what we would see happening in our world, God knew. He gave us direction through Scripture that would teach us what to do in the most treacherous times.

I have a confession though, and I’m a little embarrassed to share it.

There are some books of the Bible I tend to skip over. It’s true. But I’m trying to do better. I’m praying and asking God to help me see God’s correction with new vision. In His grace and loving-kindness, He is answering that prayer.

The book of Jude is a perfect example.

Jude begins with a harsh reminder about what happened in the past to those who rejected God. He also tackles this reality - there are still people today who will face the same fate as those in the past.

Truth like that can sure make the future seem bleak, can’t it? But just as we think things are looking discouraging, Jude ends with a clear description of how we persevere through it all.

And the truth is, it’s pretty simple.

Let’s take a look at these 5 things we can do when we see the world and get discouraged. I found hope here, and I pray you will too.

1. Build ourselves up in the faith.

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith…” (v. 20 NLT).

God gave us a great gift when He taught us to encourage ourselves, and one another.

Reminding ourselves of God's goodness helps even the deepest hurt. (Tweet this.)

2. Pray in the Spirit.

“...pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,” (v. 20 NLT).

We can feel the comfort of our Holy Spirit as we take every care to our Heavenly Father in prayer. He generously offers peace and hope when we feel down.

3. Keep ourselves in God's love.

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life,” (v. 21 NKJV).

We can have a hope and expectancy for what will come, and today we have God's love to keep us in perfect peace.

4. Have mercy on those who doubt.

“And have mercy on those who doubt;” (v. 22 ESV).

In the previous verse, Jude mentions the mercy of our Lord, and then follows that with a call for us to also have mercy to “those whose faith is wavering” (NLT). Lord, gives us the strength to show mercy as Jesus did.

5. To others show mercy mixed with fear.

As we share the love of our Savior, we are also called to walk in a reverent fear of the Lord. The NLT version puts it this way. “Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”

As we respond with mercy, let’s ask for God’s wisdom to guide us with a healthy balance of grace and truth.

And let’s also hold onto this concluding promise, “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.” (v. 24)

Thank you, Lord, for the promise of your glorious presence.

For more help from God’s Word for discouragement, visit this post here.

Blessings,

Kristine

“Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever” (1 Kings 12:6-7 NKJV).

I confess. Recently I’ve wrestled with this thought more than once:

“Am I too old for this?”

If you're in your twenties or thirties, you may not have that thought yet. But I've become acquainted with this crazy voice whispering in my ear:

“Time to trade in the trendy platform shoes for a pair of comfy flats. My feet just aren’t what they used to be.”

“Gotta be in bed by nine because my internal clock won’t let me sleep past five, even on Saturday.”

“Maybe I’ll buy that sheer under-shirt they keep advertising on TV. The one that makes the back of your arms look less flabby.”

“I’m glad the silver hair look is the new in thing!”

It’s so easy to look around and notice the younger crowd. But this shouldn't deter me from my mission or cause me to lose my drive! God has a special work for each of us – young, old, and somewhere in-between.

In 1 Kings, chapter 12, King Rehoboam consulted a group of wise elders who served his father Solomon. Solomon was known for his wisdom. Rehoboam, unfortunately, was not.

This passage of scripture highlights that there’s value in wisdom that comes from life experiences. These men served under Solomon and gained a wealth of experience under his reign. Unfortunately, Rehoboam did not follow the elder’s counsel. (That however, is a lesson for another post.)

Today, we need to claim God’s perfect purpose that He lovingly gave to each one of us. As we grow and mature, this purpose doesn’t fade or wither. It only grows deeper and stronger.

Our desire to serve never ends, no matter how old we are. Once God places it in our hearts, it’s there for good.