“[W]ild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 1:13).

The deeds of the wicked are as evident as they are repulsive.  They know no shame.  Do not be deceived, those who practice such things are bound for eternal darkness.  Has not Jesus told us that what we believe will be evident by our deeds?  Live as one who believes that Jesus has paid the price for your sin and freed you to be His disciple.  Be guided by His goodness and mercy.

Lord, in the moment it seems like the wicked get their way, but time does tell a different story.  Lead me in Your goodness always so that I do what is right in Your eyes.  Do not let me be led astray by those who practice wickedness in this world.  Instead, help me to be led by You and the goodness and mercy You have made available in abundance from the cross by Your grace.  Guide me, dear Jesus, in the way of truth.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that those who trust in You may live life differently from those in the world who are always practicing wickedness for their own ends.  Let me see the futility of this so that I may live by what is right, good and salutary.  Help me to learn how to live righteously in a world filled with anger, hatred, and greed.  Guide me according to the Father’s will to do what is right always.  Amen.

“These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted” (Jude 1:12)

Why is it we think that anyone who calls themself a Christian and hangs out with a fellowship is a good person?  We all have sin issues and the Lord has come to save each one of us.  Yes, there are those who are wicked that mask themselves as good people.  Jesus said that by their fruits will you know them.  Trust the Lord and accept all others with a grain of doubt.  Love them but know that we are all sinners in need of grace.

Lord, Your church has been so maligned in the eyes of the world by the hypocrites who mask as Your followers.  Others think that this hypocrisy is what Christianity is all about.  First, help me learn how to be faithful.  Then, help me to behave in such a way as to show the Good News of the Gospel through my words and deeds.  Lead me, Lord, according to Your goodness and enable me to walk humbly in Your ways that others see You in me.

Lord Jesus, You died so that we might be freed from sin, death, and the devil.  Bring me to the place where I live as one who has been freed. Guide me in Your goodness to walk humbly with You my Maker and do things the way You would have me do them.  Lead me this day to humbly submit to all that You would have me do knowing that Your way is right and that I need Your continuing direction.  Amen.

“Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (Jude 1:11).

Me, myself, and I are an unholy trinity.  We go the way of self over others, and even God, and then expect something better.  The Lord is lord of all.  We are to have no other gods before the Lord.  That includes you and me thinking that we are so important.  Do not go the way of those who have erred but go the way of a disciple and follow Jesus all the days of your life.

Why is it, Lord, that so many go the way of Cain and Balaam?  Why do we think so highly of ourselves?  Guide me in the way of everlasting life so that I may walk humbly with You, the Creator of all things.  Back me away from egotistical thinking and help me to learn humility.  Guide me along the path You have set before me and help me to walk that path.

Lord Jesus, You know what temptation is.  You overcame these things and went to the cross in order that we too might overcome them through You.  You demonstrated the right attitude by submitting to the Father in all things.  Lead me by Your example so that I may humbly submit and walk the way of life that is pleasing in the Father’s sight.  Guide me now and always in the way of salvation.  Amen.

“But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed” (Jude 1:10).

This generation accuses.  “You know nothing.”  Think about the arrogance of one who makes such a statement.  They do not know you or what you do or do not know.  Do not reason with such, for they are unable to reason.  Come into the presence of the Lord and let Him teach you how to reason.  Do not be one bound for destruction, but one who walks with the Lord and is bound for eternity with Him.

Lord, I do not need to know all things, but I do know what You have shown me.  Guide me in the upward call of Your grace so that I may walk humbly with You.  There are those around me who revile Your word and the goodness of Your grace.  Give me deaf ears to their hatred.  The world acts like unreasoning animals.  Help me to reason so that I begin to act like You.  Lead me as I need to be led.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the goodness and mercy of Your presence and purpose in my life.  Lead me this day to walk humbly with You.  Although the world around me may be crazy, guide me so that I look to you for all things.  You alone have given the words of eternal life.  Open my ears to listen to You alone as I journey through this age.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, in the way of salvation.  Amen.

“But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  (Jude 1:9)

How easily judgement rolls off our tongues.  We are commanded to not judge, but we judge all day long.  If the Archangel does not judge, then who are we, amidst our trivialities, to judge one another?  We have our disputes and disagreements, but the word of the Lord has spoken.  Judge not in condemnation lest with the same condemnation you be condemned.  Look to the Lord for all things and act accordingly.

Lord, I am guilty of having spoken such judgements and feeling quite alright about the whole thing.  Help me to not condemn others, for You alone are the judge of the living and the dead.  Yes, I do need to discern, but You have forbidden that I pronounce condemnation.  Lead me into a life that encourages others to live into the promise of faith You have given them so that they too may know the joy of Your presence in their lives.

Lead me, Lord Jesus, to see all the things necessary so that I can become like You.  Guide me to live by the words You have spoken and understand the goodness You intend for me.  Through Your grace and mercy, teach me to be one who also has grace and mercy.  Let me not condemn those who disagree but instead live a good life which shows Your presence in my life.  Amen.

“Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties” (Jude 1:8).

The things of the Lord are the things of the Lord.  Do not make up for yourself what you want things to be or live by wishful thinking.  The Lord has spoken His word and revealed His purpose.  Be guided in the goodness and mercy of the Lord and do not give in to the temptation to be an authority unto yourself.  Be led by the Lord and walk in His ways now and always.

Lord, I am tempted at times to reject certain authorities when I want something other than what I will receive when I walk in Your ways.  Guide me, Lord, to live into the life You have set before me.  Continue to grow me according to Your purpose so that I may become more like You each day.  You have placed the hope of eternity in my heart.  Increase my faith and grow that hope into reality.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the hope I have through faith.  By grace You have freed me from the bondage to sin and death.  But You have not given me license to do as I please.  Lead me, O Lord, into the life of faith You have given me so that I might do the work of a disciple and live according to Your teaching.  Guide me this day and help me walk humbly with You, My Lord and Master.  Amen.

“[J]ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7).

Look at the world today.  Think about what was acceptable and unacceptable one generation ago.  We have all kinds of things going on that are not acceptable according to Scripture.  God still loves us, and Jesus died for our sins, but our world has accelerated chasing after gross immorality.  Do not be led astray by what the culture does.  Be led by the word of the Lord and His eternal truth.

Lord, it is easier to sin now that things have gotten worse.  Help me to see the contrast between good and evil that I may live into the life You have promised me through faith.  Guide me, dear Lord, so that I may walk humbly with You.  Lead me by Your goodness to not do the things of this world, but to seek Your wisdom and live according to Your precepts.  Help me Lord to not go in  the way of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lord Jesus, You went to the cross so that we who have been in bondage to sin, death, and the devil could be freed.  Lead me, O Lord, according to Your never-failing promises to have the hope You give for a perfect eternity.  Guide me through the perils of this world so that I may live into the life of faith and not the hopelessness of momentary pleasure at the cost of eternal salvation.  Amen.

“And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 1:6)

The rebellion against God includes the fallen angels who want what they want and will not submit to what the Lord has created.  Do not be led astray by this world but be transformed by the renewing of Your mind in Christ Jesus.  The fallen angels will entice you, but the Lord of life has already defeated them.  Judgement day will come and if you are in His grace, look forward to that day.

Lord, there are so many conflicting stories out there.  So, why am I looking out there?  Help me to hold fast to what You have already revealed knowing that in You alone is there hope and truth.  Grow in me Your likeness day by day as I walk this path of grace.  Let me not live in fear, but in hope.  Let me not participate in rebellion but learn how to submit to You in and for all things.

Lord Jesus, You modeled the godly life by humbly submitting to the will of the Father.  Lead me to do the same.  Teach me how to be humble.  Teach me how to look to the Father for all things.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You alone is that goodness, humility, and hope.  Let me be silent, and let You take over and give me the words You would have me speak.  Amen.

“Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude 1:5).

The blessed assurance of salvation comes through faith and by grace.  The faith is in a person, not an idea or circumstance.  You are either walking with the Lord Jesus, or else you are not.  There is no in-between.  The Lord has already saved all who will believe.  The question for each one of us is whether we will trust in what Jesus has already done.  Are you fully trusting the salvation of Jesus?

Lord, You know the foolish doubts of every generation.  You know how difficult it is for us to walk by faith.  In this rebellious world, we delude ourselves by wanting to be in charge.  Help me, dear Lord, to humbly walk with You, my Savior and Maker.  Lead me to follow the Gospel way that You have already established and keep me from wandering.  Guide me to live knowing once and for all that You alone are Lord.

Lord Jesus, You did not come to this earth to teach us a few nice things.  You came humbly and endured humiliation for our sake.  You came that we might become like You.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I may grow into Your likeness each day.  Guide me according to Your promises so that I may forever hold fast to You Who gives me the hope that in You I have eternal life.  Amen.

“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4).

There are two ways heresies tend to move us.  Either they go in the way of trying to live up to the law which condemns us (legalism), or else, in the opposite direction of saying that because Jesus died for our sins, it does not matter what we do (antinomianism).  Both are nothing less than rebellion against God.  He is God and we are His creation.  He has given us the ability to think, but that does not mean we are His equal.

Lord, humility is lacking in our day.  People are full of themselves and think they are superior to others.  I too have this infection.  Lead me to the cure by Your grace so that I may live according to Your purpose.  Guide me Lord in the way of salvation and help to not go one way or the other but stay on the narrow Gospel path You have laid before me.  Let me become both humble and firm in this faith You have given me.

Thank You Lord Jesus for accomplishing what I could not do for myself.  Help me to be conformed to the Father’s will.  Let me not abuse the liberty You have given me through grace, nor become so rigid that I have no mercy for others.  Through all things, continue to conform me to Your image so that I may become more like You each day.  Lead me in a life of true faith today and always.  Amen.