Praise Him
Jude 24-25
Few spots rival the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. At least, that is what I had been told. Anxious to behold these breathtaking vistas for the first time, I made the two-hour trek from Charlotte and, with great anticipation, made my way up the winding road to the first overlook. As I peered over the ledge, guess what I beheld? Fog. I couldn’t see a thing.
Herein lies a parable. Perhaps you come to church regularly because you’ve been told Christ is beautiful. Everyone tells you this is so. You’ve made the trip to church to behold him in worship. But you don’t see him. You’re in a spiritual fog. Worship is cold. Christ is not clearly before you. Your view is distorted by the fog of sin. You can’t see past the haze of worry. You can’t clear away the clouds of doubt. You can’t escape the murk of pride.
If this is you, hear now precious words of hope from God’s Word which, like a fresh wind, will blow the fog away:
Now to Jesus who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in God’s presence, blameless and with great joy. To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time, now, and forever. Amen. Jude 24-25.
He alone is your hope today.
If you are lost in the fog of spiritual indifference, remember these words of hope: Jesus alone is able to keep you from stumbling. That is, he alone is able to guard you from falling into temptation or unbelief.
If you feel incapable of standing up under temptation. If you are in the fog of guilt for what you said last week. If you are in the fog of shame for what you looked at last night. If you are in the fog of fear that your sins will ever define you. If you are in the fog of dread that you’ll never find victory, take hope. God is able. He will keep you when you can’t keep yourself. Trust Him. He alone is your hope today
He alone is your hope on the final day.
If the joy of your salvation is lost in the fog of spiritual coldness, remember too these words of hope: Jesus alone is able to make you stand in God’s presence blameless and with great joy. That is, the who he keeps you from falling today is the one who will make you stand on the final day. He alone can bring you into God’s presence on the final day.
Moreover, he does so with great joy! One day, you will stand surrounded with joy unspeakable. This will be your joy, as you approach His throne of grace with confidence, rather than fear. This will be God’s joy, as he welcomes you in His loving arms, like the father did the son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Indeed, this will be heaven’s joy, as the angels will throw the greatest celebration this universe has ever known. Don’t believe me? Read about it yourself in Revelation 19.
Brothers and sisters, take heart: If you are in a fog today, give yourself to the fresh wind of Jude 24-25. Look to Christ, the bright morning sun, and watch him burn the fog away in your mind and heart.
Kyler Smith is the
Family Discipleship Pastor at
Hickory Grove Baptist Church,
Charlotte, NC
