Jude 20-21 – But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

“Building yourselves up on your most holy faith” means that you study the Word of God. If you are going to build yourself up on your most holy faith, you must have the total Word of God, not just bits and pieces of the Word. Think about it. You can not build a house without first laying a foundation. Then you will need to put up some walls that will hold the roof. Finally, you are going to need a roof on it, siding, and drywall on the inside. Now you will have a strong, safe home to live in. Likewise, this is what the total Word of God will do for you, giving you a strong, safe place in which to live. Both Peter and Paul urged believers to study the Word of God in tough days. Paul wrote: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed …” (2 Tim. 2:15). The reason many believers fall is because the Word of God does not get deeply rooted in their minds and hearts. Unless you study all of the Word of God, get down in the good, rich soil of the Word, you are not going to become stable and strong. You will not be able to stand or endure in difficult times.

Challenge:

If Jesus is the secure foundation you are building your life upon, then what have you placed upon that foundation? What are you building today? Have you been building your walls that will give you strength when the winds of life begin to blow? Do you have your roof in place so that when the rain begins to fall you have a safe covering to keep you dry? We are all in the process of building some section of our lives. When you own your own home, there is always a new appliance to install, or a room that needs painting, or a door that needs adjusting. In the same way, there is always something in your life that needs your immediate attention. Your challenge for this week is to knock at least one item off of your personal “punch list” so to speak. Is there an area of your life that you have neglected for too long? Do you need to start and exercise program or spend a little more time in prayer or be more grateful for the friends you have or forgive a family member? This time of year, as we enter into the holiday season, we all have many items on our to-do lists. This week add at least one to-do item that will help build you up personally. Make that item a priority and be sure to check it off your list. Remember, small progress over time will reward you with large benefits. God bless you.