It’s summertime here in Minnesota.  Fish are jumping and the corn will be knee high by the fourth of July.  Folks are venturing out of their cocoons as restrictions are slowly lifted – some with the frenzy of anxiety driving their every move.  A few, cautiously don their masks and gloves, standing the required distance from each other.  Those of us who are considered the most vulnerable were born in a different time, when we trusted the media and our governing officials.

Summers are always the high point of Minnesota weather.  We run the gamut of chilly mornings to searing heat at noon and breathtaking sunsets.  We face tornados, drought, soaking rain and an assortment of days which always makes life in my state an adventure.  You never know what the weather will bring. We also have numerous lakes (more than 10,000) and are surrounded by beautiful state parks, caves, waterfalls and places to visit.

This year our summer has taken a different turn.  We’re still in the throes of a pandemic. We may be too cautious to venture out.  In some cases, the longing for physical contact and interaction has overshadowed common sense.  Protests have broken the silence of those welcomed summer days.  A cause as old as our country has returned to remind us of our heritage.  The tearing down of monuments and demands to rename anything that has the word “white” in it have caused discontent and rising up once more

We’re a nation of restless and impatient people.  We want everything to be all right and we want it now.  We’re kind of like the children of Israel as they wandered for forty years in the desert and were used to complaining.  Forty years is a long time to wait, yet we’ve been wandering for less and complaining more.

The tiny book of Jude in the New Testament has good advice for us as we face the perils of our time.  It’s really applicable for all the ages.  That’s what’s so absolutely beautiful about God’s Word, the Bible. Through it, we find lessons for every situation and solutions for all our problems.  Everyone is looking for instant answers today and now you can even read the Bible on an app on your phone.

Jude is the book right before the Revelation, which is yet to be fulfilled.  We can completely trust the Bible, because it was inspired by God Himself.  The verse above tells us where our strength comes from.  It has nothing to do with anything we do, but God tells us that our faith is the necessary element in our relationship with God. When we believe what He has written and the sacrifice He made so that we could enjoy eternity in heaven, we have the one thing needful.  He is our armor – our protector from the ugliness of the world – our defender against all our enemies – our Savior and provider of our salvation.

God’s kingdom will be ours, not here on this mortal coil, but after our death when we actually come face to face with Him in paradise.