Dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! Jude 1:21–22 (MSG)
Do you approach Jesus with the “arms” of your heart outstretched, sure of the blessing and mercy He’s waiting to lavish on you?
If not, why not? It’s right there in His Word that we’re to approach Him just that way, staying in the center of His love, keeping (as in consistently, not just every now and then) our arms open and outstretched, ready for His mercy.
Our lives are in Jesus’ hands, it’s true. The more we know Him, the more we know how much we truly depend on Him. Yet we still have our part to do.
We must take an active role in building up our own faith, in seeking Him out with a heart that lives to be filled by Him. Notice the focus isn’t on getting every behavior correct, never ever messing up. Sure, it’s important to obey Him consistently. Yet the focus of these verses is about soaking Him up, not showing Him how perfectly we can act.
I love that!
Can we breathe a collective sigh of relief? Oh, such good news that His direction to us about building our Christian faith is first about soaking up all that good love He has for us. He tells us to talk to Him, to stay right in the center of His love, and to run to Him for bountiful doses of mercy.
Today is the perfect day, right now is the perfect time, to head to Him for some of that abundant life.
Faith step: Ask Jesus to lavish you with Himself. Then get ready; He loves to fulfill that request!
