I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. (Jude 1:3)
Thoughts: We are all urged in this verse from the Holy Scriptures to contend for the faith. Literally the Greek word translated "contend" here means to "struggle earnestly for." The idea is to wrestle for what we have been taught- and not to give into easy believing. We are not called to go along with what is popular or easy or culturally proper. We are called to KEEP the faith (semper fi) that has been passed onto us. The faith has been passed to us- and we are called to pass on the faith to others. Jude is a book of warning against falling into pagan sexual immorality and giving into heresy. This is also the problem of our day. We are called to contend- stand up for the faith, and to contend in our own heart for the faith. We should not be surprised that it is a contentious struggle to which we are called. The last verse of Jude reminds us that God is able to keep us from falling. We are called to keep the faith and we are reminded that God is able to keep us.
Prayer: "Lord I seek you with all my heart, with all my strength you have given me. I long to understand that which I believe. You are my only hope; please listen to me. Do not lett my weariness lessen my desire to find you, to see your face. You created me in order to find you; you gave me strength to seek you. My strength and my weakness are in your hands. preserve my strength and help my weakness. Where you have already opened the door, let me come in; where it is shut, open at my knocking.
Let me always remember you, love you, meditate upon you, and pray to you, until you restore me to your perfect pattern." (Augustine of Hippo 354-430)
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