May 4: Jude 1 1-2

Key Verse: Jude 1 1
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

Devotion:
How often do you keep in touch with people who move away from you for one reason or another? I assumed when I left my country of birth the people I knew would keep in touch, but was a bit disconcerted to find out they did not. I learned the truth when someone I knew and loved moved away to the other side of the world. Nowadays we have the internet and social media and I find I am able to catch up with many people, but back then we would have to write letters to each other…

When we move away to a very different place or lifestyle, we are effectively starting off again in a new place where we have to find our feet, meet local people and get to know them. They may well be from very different lifestyles to your own and it will probably take a lot of getting used to – you find you have to go above and beyond in many cases to make local friends. This takes time and energy… In many cases we do work and we do not see the results we want to because life is so very different to what we are used to!

So what keeps us going? What is it that makes us keep going when the world around us seems to be falling apart? What gives us the strength to continue in the face of such adversity? Not what but whom! Yes, we have Christ with us and we can gain buckets full of strength and grace to carry on, but we also need a bit of support from others in our lives. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you how very important it is to hear from the people you have left behind, not so you can carry on being the same, but to be different and make a difference locally.

It does not matter what line of work we are in, be it running a hotel, programming computers or being a missionary – hearing from people does inspire you to make that difference you were seeking when you first moved! So what do you do to the people who have moved away from you for various works?

Points to Ponder:
Do you have a friend who moved away to do something for God?

Do you keep in contact with them?