1 00:00:04,590 --> 00:00:07,710 Speaker 1: For more resources to help you in your walk with Christ, 2 00:00:08,070 --> 00:00:14,550 Speaker 1: please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening to Daily Devotions 3 00:00:14,620 --> 00:00:18,979 Speaker 1: with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and today's devotion is 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:24,139 Speaker 1: inspired by Jude 1, which says, Jude, a servant of 5 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who 6 00:00:28,100 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: have been called, who are loved by God the Father, 7 00:00:32,090 --> 00:00:37,850 Speaker 1: and kept by Jesus Christ. We are loved by God 8 00:00:37,890 --> 00:00:40,900 Speaker 1: the Father. That's a truth we would do well to 9 00:00:40,950 --> 00:00:44,220 Speaker 1: meditate on every day, because when we truly believe this 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:49,020 Speaker 1: to be true, our hearts, lives, and internal motivations are 11 00:00:49,140 --> 00:00:54,060 Speaker 1: impacted in the most powerful way. People live and behave 12 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,410 Speaker 1: differently when they know they are loved. I can personally 13 00:00:57,450 --> 00:01:00,170 Speaker 1: testify to the fact that I live and behave differently 14 00:01:00,450 --> 00:01:03,130 Speaker 1: when I know I am loved. We all know the 15 00:01:03,190 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: difference it makes to be loved. When we're loved, we 16 00:01:06,190 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: feel welcomed and accepted. We feel at liberty to be 17 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: ourselves and not feel like we're walking on eggshells. We 18 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: don't live with the constant fear that if we make 19 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:22,459 Speaker 1: a mistake, we'll immediately become unloved or unwelcome. Knowing that 20 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,690 Speaker 1: truth deep down has a big effect on us. It 21 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:31,509 Speaker 1: produces boldness and confidence. Jude reminds us that we are 22 00:01:31,670 --> 00:01:35,470 Speaker 1: loved by God the Father. What difference can that truth 23 00:01:35,550 --> 00:01:39,350 Speaker 1: make for us? If we truly believe that, it will 24 00:01:39,470 --> 00:01:44,430 Speaker 1: impact every area of our lives. In Christ Jesus, we 25 00:01:44,490 --> 00:01:48,650 Speaker 1: are unconditionally loved by God. We can find joy in 26 00:01:48,690 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: that relationship. We can also delight in loving Him. We 27 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: don't need to buy into the false teaching that tells 28 00:01:55,660 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: us we need to earn His love. We don't need 29 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,750 Speaker 1: to spend our lives trying to fill a void for 30 00:02:00,810 --> 00:02:04,450 Speaker 1: love by seeking to earn love from others, because we 31 00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:14,109 Speaker 1: know for certain that God the Father loves us. Let's pray. Lord, 32 00:02:14,150 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 33 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 34 00:02:18,020 --> 00:02:20,339 Speaker 1: look at this portion of Scripture today from the book 35 00:02:20,380 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: of Jude. And Lord, among the things you tell us 36 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: in the brief letter that Jude wrote, You tell us 37 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: that we are called, we are kept, and we are loved. 38 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: And specifically in this portion of Scripture, we're told that 39 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,780 Speaker 1: we are loved by God the Father. You love us, Lord. 40 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: And we're grateful for the fact that you do so. 41 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:44,740 Speaker 1: We know we don't deserve your love. We know that 42 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,540 Speaker 1: we actually deserve the exact opposite. But it does our 43 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,470 Speaker 1: heart and our mind good to meditate on the nature 44 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:55,380 Speaker 1: of your love for us. Your love isn't based on 45 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: our ability to earn it. Your love for us doesn't change. 46 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: It's not fickle. It's not flaky. And because we're loved, 47 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,660 Speaker 1: you assure us that we can come confidently before you. 48 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,910 Speaker 1: We can enter into your presence boldly because we know 49 00:03:11,940 --> 00:03:15,950 Speaker 1: we're welcome. We're welcome based on what your son Jesus 50 00:03:16,010 --> 00:03:18,910 Speaker 1: Christ did on our behalf and the cleansing that we 51 00:03:18,930 --> 00:03:22,370 Speaker 1: have received through faith in your son. And as you 52 00:03:22,430 --> 00:03:26,049 Speaker 1: love your son, so too do you love us, because 53 00:03:26,090 --> 00:03:29,990 Speaker 1: your Son lives within us. Father, we're grateful that your 54 00:03:30,030 --> 00:03:33,540 Speaker 1: word reveals these things to us, and we're grateful for 55 00:03:33,580 --> 00:03:36,460 Speaker 1: the ways in which our lives are impacted for the 56 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: better because of it. So Lord, we pray that you'd 57 00:03:39,340 --> 00:03:42,660 Speaker 1: bring these truths to our minds today and every day, 58 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: and we pray that as recipients of your love, that 59 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: we would demonstrate your love to others as we have 60 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,820 Speaker 1: opportunity to do so. Thank you again for these reminders 61 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:58,460 Speaker 1: and for this encouragement. And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.