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.
Happy summer, Kathy. And Happy 4th of July, too!
I really love the book of Jude. 1:9 really taught me how not to worry about it, don’t stress, God’s got this thing. It’s funny how something will jump out of scripture at you and just resonate and fix everything.
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Happy 4th to you as well. I Agree that there is always a golden nugget in God’s word to ay to whatever we’re going through. I love Jude too because it’s a little book with so much meat.
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Kathy, I appreciate you sharing these verses from Jude. Indeed, our strength will come from our righteous Lord. Americans need to fully grasp that we need to take this pandemic seriously with the necessary discipline to follow all guidelines to the letter. Perhaps if we can follow these instructions, we might realize that paying attention to God’s Word will lead us forward.
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So true, my friend. I fear some have forgotten that we’re all in this together.
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