27^th March 2010

SEEDS FOR HARVESTING 5/5

Jude 1:24
"To Him who is able to keep you from falling
and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy."

Here is knowledge unbelievable for us.
They are words "great joy."
We feel so humbled by such a great promise.

The word "Him" refers to Jesus
who is the only one who is able to" keep" and "present" us
before the Father's "glorious presence without fault."

How difficult it is for us to hold in tension on the one hand
God's ultimate plan for us and on the other
the decisions we must make day-by-day.

God does "keep you from falling"
not by direct control but through His loving acts.
If we are convinced that God knows best
then the obvious consequences are
that we can be happy and willing
to pass our lives over to Him,
and be guided by the Triune God.

This "joy" is not ours, but Jesus' and the Holy Spirit's "great joy"
to be able to "present" us before the presence
of the Father "without fault."

This joy grows out of our willingness to commit our lives to Him
so that alternately we will become "without fault"
and worthy ones to be presented
in the Father's presence.

Bob Imms 28.2.10