But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. – Jude 1:5

Jude was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus; also known as Judas Thaddaeus in some biblical accounts. He wrote this letter to the early church reminding them of the need to stay true to their faith and not waiver no matter what. He touched on some acts of disobedience from the Israelites in the wilderness, as well as fallen angels.

In the case of the Israelites who didn’t believe, God allowed them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. This was a consequence of their lack of faith and disobedience. By the turn of the 40th year, all those who expressed unbelief in God had died and their descendants were the one to enter the promised land, along with Joshua and Caleb.

From scripture, we know that the last act of disobedience which sealed their fate was when they refused to enter the Promised Land because of their fear for the sons of Anak, who were giants. They said to themselves that they were grasshoppers in the sight of these giants, and they doubted God’s ability to give them victory over the inhabitants of the land. (Numbers 13) This act of disobedience led to their prolonged wandering in the wilderness. It is important to note that God’s actions were a result of their choices and not a direct act of destruction.

Most often than not, our own indecisiveness have cost us our blessings, breakthrough, healing or victory over a difficult situation. In our scripture for today, Jude is reminding to be discerning and test everything against the truth of Scripture. If God is giving us an assignment or sending you somewhere, it’s because He has already made provisions for us. If we judge things by face value like the Israelites and doubt God, we may just miss out on our breakthrough or blessing. Like the Israelites, we may not live to see the glory of God

I pray that today’s lesson encourage us to stay rooted in the truth, guard our faith, and help us live according to God’s principles.