I’ve given myself a challenge to shorten my Hidden In My Heart posts. My desire is to get to the point, short and sweet (isn’t God’s word so sweet ~ Psalm 119:103!). We’ll see how this goes…
I’ve been overtaken with awe over Jude 1:1. This is a letter to the early church, from Jude. We know this because he first identifies himself as the writer of the letter, and then he identifies those he is writing to. It was a common format in those days (kind of like signing it and identifying himself for his readers before he even begins).
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Jude 1:1
These kind of openings are common in the New Testament letters to the churches. Therefore, because they are familiar to many of us, it’s easy to glaze right over them without seeing the amazing truth that lies within. The focus of my heart has been on the word “kept.” There’s so much much more we could talk about, but I’m going to stick with keeping this to the point.
…to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.
The word “kept” used here in the original greek language in which it was written is the word, tereo. It means:
verb: to attend to carefully; to guard.
Think about this for a moment and ponder what Jude just wrote. Those who are called are the beloved in God and attended to carefully and guarded for Jesus Christ. (Oh my goodness! That’s YOU and ME!)
There’s more…
The greek word tereo is a verb that indicates a past completed action with a continuing present result. Here’s what blew me away… We’re kept (guarded and attended to carefully by Jesus Himself) because of something that happened so long ago. It was a past action (the sacrifice of God’s perfect Lamb, Jesus, on a cross taking the penalty for your sin and mine) which has a present result that continues on and on which is guarding me, attending to me and keeping me because I am one of His beloved.
For those who have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you can rejoice beloved, that you are kept in Him and you are kept for Him. That is so reassuring. I picture it like a flower, so delicate and vulnerable to the elements around it. When it needs protection, it closes up tightly and is “kept” safe (guarded) from the cold night, the blowing wind and the harsh rain. When the morning comes, when the storm has passed, it opens. When it does, do you know which direction it always faces? YEP, toward the sun! Turn your face to Me, I am reminded (through the storm and continuing once it passes). I will be your sun, and I will be your shield, says the Lord. I will attend to you and keep you guarded and safe, says my Lord. Turn your face to Me!!!
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11 NKJV
