WONDERFUL THING IN THIS PASSAGE – We live in a precarious world. A moment’s distraction, either ours or an approaching driver’s, and our lives could be over. A fleeting weakness, and our relationships and reputations could be shattered. A simple mistake, and our careers could be ruined. No wonder we have so much anxiety.
But we don’t need to. The Bible says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isa 26:3 NKJV). God doesn’t promise to bring peace to our circumstances but to our hearts, regardless of circumstances. The only conditions he lays out are that we keep our minds focused on him (rather than on our circumstances) and that we believe what he tells us.
There are three truths from God’s Word that will help us meet these conditions and experience his peace. Jude lists all three in the address to his letter:
“To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1).
Called. Loved. Kept.
WONDERFUL THING IN OUR LIVES – Early in my Christian life, I learned and accepted these wonderful truths about God’s care for me. They’ve allowed me to live in fairly consistent peace and confidence even during challenging times. I believe that you can have that same peace if you will accept those same facts:
You are called – You’re not just somebody lucky enough to learn God’s plan of salvation, and now you get to go to heaven. No, he has always had you personally in mind: “For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4). “From the beginning God has chosen you for salvation … He called you to this through our gospel” (2 Thess 2:13-14).
Hear Jesus say to you what he said to the twelve: “You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit” (John 15:16). There is great peace in knowing that God didn’t just save you and leave you to wander around until heaven. He called you for specific tasks for his Kingdom, and he’s working in you to accomplish them: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Eph 2:10).
You are loved – “Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). We forfeit peace when we have the erroneous feeling that God is neutral toward us or that his attitude toward us is dependent on how well we do. No, “God is for us” every moment (Rom 8.31). We are not just his subjects but his “beloved children” (Eph 5:1).
You are kept – Deep peace comes from realizing that it’s not up to you to keep yourself but that “you are kept for Jesus Christ.” God “is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy” (Jude 1:24). God will also “protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). “You are being guarded by God’s power through faith” (1 Pet 1:5).
Decide to believe that you are called, loved, and kept, and you will walk with confidence in God and with peace in your heart.
