Jump Start # 1459

Jude 24 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy”

  Our verse today is found at the end of the little book of Jude. It reminds us of how great our God is and how much that He is a part of our lives and wants us to succeed spiritually. God is not on the sidelines of life just waving a banner and hoping that we will do well. He is “able to keep you” and “make you”. I feel that sometimes folks wish that God would do more. Look how much He is doing. Possibly it is God who wishes that we would do more on our part.

Stumbling happens. We have little grandchildren who are walking. They stumble around. I know many senior citizens who must use walkers and canes to keep from stumbling. The stumbling here is spiritual. It happens when one is not careful. We take our eyes off of the Lord. We get too close to the edge of wrong. We follow every new and radical idea. We get weary and want to stop. We get discouraged. We get caught up in complaining. We invite Satan into our homes and hearts. It is so easy to stumble. There are so many ways to stumble. Israel stumbled all through the wilderness, complaining and doubting God. Peter begins his second letter by listing what we call the “Virtues” of Christianity. He states that if those qualities are ours and are increasing, we will never fall. There are characteristics of Christian behavior and faith that can keep us from falling. God is able to keep you from stumbling.

Have you ever met someone that returned back to the far country? They quit being a Christian. It didn’t work out for them. They ended the journey before they reached the finish line. Something happened. They couldn’t keep the commitment. They often point fingers at the congregation that they were a part of. Maybe there is some blame there, but somewhere along the way they lost touch with God. God is able to keep you from stumbling. But He doesn’t do that without our part. We won’t stumble as long as we continue to worship, stay connected with God and grow spiritually. Staying engaged with God. Being active in the kingdom, those are the very things that make a difference.

A stumbling Christian isn’t a pretty sight. He sends the wrong message to the world and he must be the source of attention and help by the shepherds. Instead of putting efforts into saving the lost, many places must pour energy into keeping the stumbling Christians from going overboard.

The other activity that our passage brings out is that God will make us stand in the presence of His glory. What a great thought that is! The glory of God. Jesus showed His glory at the transfiguration. Peter, James and John, knew Jesus as a man. He know showed them Jesus as God. His face shone. His clothes were brilliantly white. They had never seen anything like that. The Bible says when Jesus returns it will be in His glory. He will look like God looks. In Revelation, when John saw Jesus, again, in all the glory, he fell like a dead man. Our verse says that God will make us stand in the presence of His glory. We won’t run and hide. We won’t fall in fear. We won’t turn away. We will stand. Stand because of God. Stand because of forgiveness, faith and hope. Stand in His presence.

God will keep us from stumbling. God will make us stand in His glory. Without God we couldn’t do it. Without God we would fall. Do you see how active God is in your life. He cannot do these things apart from our choices and will. He will not drag us kicking and screaming to Heaven. When we walk by faith, God will use the wonderful opportunities to keep us from stumbling.

Have you considered that starting your day by reading a verse and these Jump Starts, may be just one way God can help you? Have you viewed worship services, your connection with other Christians, as just one way God can help you? Have you thought that Bible classes, daily reading the Bible programs, your fellowship with others, is just one way that God keeps you from stumbling. Just as there are multiple ways of stumbling, there are multiple ways to keep from stumbling. All of them connect us to the spiritual side of life. They cause us to reflect, think and make adjustments in our priorities and in our hearts.

The way God helps us is not overpowering us. His mighty hand doesn’t reach down from the sky and grab us. Rather, there are simple, everyday things that touch our hearts and helps us to keep going. These everyday things, however, may be the very things that we ignore. Then we trip. We fall. We get into a real spiritual mess. And then we wonder, why didn’t God do something. He did. He was there all along. We just didn’t see it. We ignored the very things, such as worship and Bible study, that could help us and keep us from stumbling.

A stumbling Christian generally has unplugged much of his spiritual activity. His attendance falls off. His prayer life dries up. His study of God’s word stops. He no longer reaches out to others. He becomes consumed with self. He sees others with critical and judgmental eyes. He is not allowing God to keep him from stumbling. But the very opposite of these things, a Christian who attends services, engages with the work, is close to brethren, is growing, studying, praying, he’s not likely to stumble. I’ve known preachers and elders who have fallen. What happened? They unplugged themselves from God. They were going through the motions but they allowed their faith to die.

Will God help you? Yes, that’s Heaven’s promise. Will you help yourself? Only you can answer that. God can keep you from falling. Do you want that?

What a great God we have. He could have left us on our own. But He doesn’t. He cares. He loves. He wants you to spend forever with Him.

Are you still in the race or have you quit?

Roger