Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 24-25
The Definition
This was the benediction spoken over the congregation at church last Sunday and it has really stuck with me through the week. I looked up "benediction" at merriam-webster.com: "The invocation of a blessing." And just to make my Bible study ladies proud, I looked up "invocation" as well. And I'm glad I did. Merriam-webster.com said, "the act or process of petitioning for help or support; a prayer of entreaty; a calling upon for authority or justification."
So, what is it that I found so great about the definition? If we read over these verses from Jude, we very quickly recognize the tone of one speaking a blessing over another. It can be easy to get caught up in the tone and emotion of the words and miss that it really has nothing to do with us! It is all about God...God's grace in maintaining our standing before God, God's glory, God's saving power, God's authority, God's infinity.
The Petition
What a powerful, always needed reminder for me. Here we are, "petitioning for help or support," for ourselves or someone else with verses that aren't about us. It almost seems like it doesn't make sense to use this as a benediction. Yet, when we pause, we realize it is completely perfect. Yes, we need help and support, but we need it so badly that we need it completely. We need someone doing it for us, carrying us, not just assisting. That's what God does! These verses, used in benediction, remind us of that.
I get caught up in struggling and failing and falling short. It is easy for me to begin to feel defeated. But God... that beautiful phrase in Ephesians 2. But because of God I can rejoice in the blessing of these verses. That all I am, my duty, my essence, my everything is to praise the glory of the One who is Able.