Today’s reading is Jude 24.
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy,…”
Our words to describe God today are “His holiness.” Merriam-Webster defines holy as “exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one in perfect goodness and righteousness.” I’ve also heard holy described as separate or set apart.
He is the only thing that is truly holy and without sin. No matter how hard we try to be holy and do the right thing…we will mess up. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even get through a prayer without being distracted and thinking about something besides God. I find myself getting mad at my kids during an online church service for something they probably should not be doing, but are my thoughts and actions the way that Jesus would react and want me to do so?…likely not. The list could go on and on so I’ll stop. I’m sure I’m not the only one, and I imagine all who are reading this can relate.
Isn’t it ironic though that our words to describe Him today are “His holiness,” yet our verses today are really about how He makes us holy?! That’s just like Him isn’t it? I mess up time after time, but through the events that happened this last weekend nearly 2000 years ago, these verses tell me that He keeps me from stumbling more than I would already. But knowing that I will still stumble, He presents me completely blameless before the Holy Father. As I’m writing this on Easter, our Amazon Music is playing Reckless Love by Cory Asbury, and I hear the lyrics…”I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away…oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God..”
Humbling isn’t? He didn’t have to…but He did…He took all that suffering and all that pain..so that through His Holiness…we are made blameless and holy, too. Thank you, Jesus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GGJ8cyYNzQ