Slideshow image

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

to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time, and now and forever!

Amen.  ~ Jude 24-25

Greetings my dear sister!

My beloved Bible is becoming a bit tattered from decades of leafing through the pages (trying to find stuff), highlights and markings. I’ve often wondered if I highlighted every sentence that stood out to me if eventually the whole book would be one big kaleidoscope of color!

Years ago, I decided to read the Old Testament with a view to underline something positive on every page. A lot of people tend to think of the OT as a time of an angry and vengeful God, but I learned something quite different while doing my little exercise. From the beginning of Genesis to the end of Malachi, God’s name was praised; He rescued, He blessed, He caused His people to multiply! Wow!

It’s been thousands of years, but our God has not changed! He still rescues, He still blesses and He still causes His people to multiply! In fact, this was brought home to me last Tuesday at the morning Bible study (you really should try to attend!). Brother Read was going through an OT story; the book of Numbers 22-24. It is the story of Balaam and his talking donkey. The snippet that jumped out at me (besides Bro Read narrating in a high pitched donkey ‘voice’ with his donkey puppet) was something God spoke to the prophet Balaam. He said, “…you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed” ~Numbers 22:12

When God blesses something, nothing can undo it! NOTHING! It can be rejected by the recipient, but it can never be stolen or usurped by any other power because our God is God Almighty, Everlasting, Lord over all!! Our enemy wants us to be convinced that our blessing, even our salvation, can be taken away at any moment or with one false step, but that is a lie! 

The Lord promises that He not only is able to keep us from stumbling, it is also only by Him that we are made to stand in the presence of His glory! Blameless! With great joy! Not by our works of righteousness, not by our reputations, not our lofty thoughts. It’s all Him! His mercy, His grace, His strength, His love for YOU, His chosen one.

Early in my Christian walk, I heard a man giving testimony about a trial he was going through. I never knew his name, and I don’t remember the details of his trial, but one sentence he uttered has never left me. He said, as if echoing the verse above in shorthand, “God is keeping me kept!” 

Remember that, dear sister, when you are worried about your relationship with the One who is able to keep you from stumbling. God is keeping you kept!

As you consider that this week, why not reach out to someone who needs the same encouragement? We all have doubt from time to time, allow God to use you to bring Light and comfort to someone this week. Like the man I quoted  above, your encouragement may be carried by someone else all the rest of their days.

May God be glorified!

With love, your sister, Celeste