Good Morning Sunshine! It’s Time For You To Contend For The Word That God Gave You! 

Jude 1:1-3 NKJV ~ “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: [2] Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. [3] Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” 

Last week on our weekly prayer line Apostle Comery told us that we had to contend for the word that God has given us and that He is going to give us a song as a reminder of what He put in our spirit. And since he said that, this word has been on my mind. So, today’s devotional is inspired by the fresh Manna from Apostle Comery! 

Today, I want you to do a scripture and word search on the word, contend! Merriam Webster Dictionary says it means, to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties, to struggle.

This is from Bible Study Tools! ~ Contend means, the meeting of effort by effort, striving against opposition; physically, in battle (Deuteronomy 2:9), or orally (Nehemiah 13:11), and sometimes spiritually (Isaiah 57:16). It says when you get in a birthing position, spiritually speaking, and you travail in the Spirit for the thing You Know is in God’s heart to come forth. Contending is when you become aggressive and offensive in your prayer and in your fasting and you don’t let anything, or anyone cause you to stop! 

Now with that being said think about this, there are moments and then there are moments when God speaks a word to your heart, a promise, an instruction, or a word of revelation. It might come during your time in the Word, through prayer, in silence and stillness or through a spiritual prompting. But when God speaks and opposition arises and try to make doubt come to your mind, so what do you do? You contend, fight for the word that God gave you! Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ was eager to write a letter to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ, He wanted mercy, peace, and love to be multiplied to them because of their common salvation, he found it necessary to write appealing to them to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 

Listen at his tone as he writes to them, he is speaking through the pen, to those who are called, loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ, there are three passive verbs here, that point to God, (called, loved and kept)! Do you hear God, God calls, God loves, and God keeps! You are called, you are loved, and you are kept by God! (Are you happy in Jesus yet?) Jude is making sure that you, the believer knows that you have been elected by God, and you are being preserved by His love! This is why Jude begin and ended his letter in the manner that he did! (Jude 1:24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, [25] To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.”) He knew that you would have to fight for your faith sometimes, and that is always in the middle. 

Think about it this way, it’s what you do with the dash between your born day and the day you die! The dash is the different maker! This letter was not to make you feel content, but to help you feel strong, to contend with confidence the word that is on the inside of you. Jude believed if he showed them what electing the love of God and His unsurpassed Power looked like while God kept them safe and taught them how to fight for the faith and to never lose hope! The apostle Jude urges you to “contend earnestly” for the faith. This doesn’t just mean defending your beliefs outwardly; but it means inwardly holding fast to the Word of God. To contend means to wrestle, to fight, and to stand firm. It implies that you know how to resist forces that seek to undermine what God has spoken to you! Because when God gives you a word, it will be tested by Fire! 

Look at those who paved the way for you; Abraham received the promise of a son, yet he waited for years both spiritually and physically for it to come to pass (Genesis 15:5-6, Romans 4:20-21)! Joseph was given dreams of greatness, but he endured betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment before seeing God’s Word fulfilled (Genesis 37:5-11, Genesis 50:20)! And Jesus Himself contended in the wilderness, for standing firm on God’s Word when Satan sought to twist it (Matthew 4:1-11)! So, as you can see, you will have to contend with God’s Word and it requires you to trust in Him over what you see or feel, remember this is not based on your feelings, it’s your faith in God that you have to be sure of! 

So, if it means rehearsing His promises in your mind over and over again until you can hear it in your spirit, and it is declaring His truth over your circumstances and resisting every lie that contradicts what God has spoken! Then so be it! You will do whatever is necessary to protect the Word that God has given you! Be aware of the tricks of the enemy, for his goal is to make you abandon the Word of God before it has had a chance to take root in you and bear the fruit that God wants to be harvested! James 1:12 is a great reminder for you, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

In other words, you have an assured victory, but this does not mean that you don’t have to be prepared for the fight to win. Just like an Army’s Commander in Chief, he may promise you victory in the battle, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to show up ready and prepared! The promise of victory assumes valor in battle. When God promised that His church would be kept from defeat, His purpose is not that you lay down your sword and go to sleep, but that you pick up the sword of the Spirit and look confidently to God for the strength to fight and win. Jude helped the people see it God’s way, who have you helped today? For it’s in God’s way, that you can have confidence that because of your faith you will be victorious in the end, now get out there and contend (fight) for the Word and Promises that God gave you!

God’s Word carries Power, but it must be partnered with your faith. Hebrews 4:2 tells us that the Word profits nothing when not mixed with faith. So, to contend means to believe that God is faithful and that His Word will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent out to do, and it will not return empty, (Isaiah 55:11)! If you are wrestling with doubt about what God has promised, then that is the scripture for you to get in your heart, head, mind, and mouth, so that you can bring it all to God in prayer, where you can be strengthened in His Word and invite the Holy Spirit to fortify your faith! Stand firm and refuse to let go of what He has spoken. His Word will not fail you, it will accomplish its goal, that is sealed with a promise from God Himself! 

Let’s Pray:
Father, thank You for Your Word that brings life, hope, and direction. I ask for strength to contend with the promises You’ve given me. Thank You for the precious gift of Salvation that You have given to me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to treasure this faith You have entrusted to Your me and delivered once for all through Your Word and Your Spirit. Fill me with courage to contend earnestly for this truth and guarding it with humility and boldness in a world of challenges and distractions. Father, please help me to stand firm in my faith, resisting doubt and fear. Father, remind me of Your faithfulness and Your power to bring Your Word to fulfillment in my life. Strengthen my heart and mind to remain steadfast, keeping my eyes fixed on Your Presence as I wait on my promises. Father please help me to stand united as a believer and supporting my brothers and sisters in love as I strive to live out Your Gospel. Guide me with Your wisdom and grace, so that I may Glorify You in all that I do. I trust in You, and I choose to hold on to Your promises and contend for my faith m in You, no matter what! In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Have A Blessed Weekend…