Worthless and Dangerous Men

Jude 12b-13 "They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead.  They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever."

      Lord, Jude paints such a vivid word picture here.   We could ask the citizens of Texas who are in a horrible drought that has lasted for a year, or the folks who lived through the "Dust Bowl" years ago on our prairie what clouds without rain are like.  They see a cloud, hope it turns into a thunderhead, and then it just blows away in the wind yielding nothing.  I saw a documentary once about the Dust Bowl, and drought actually creates its own weather pattern that prohibits rain from forming.  So these men are.  They bluster and boast, but have nothing of worth to share with others.  They are on their own path of destruction.
      In most places in the USA, there are deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the Fall.  In Wayne County NY, there are LOTS of orchards for peaches, cherries, pears, plumbs, prunes, and apples of multiple varieties.  In the spring, it is an absolutely stunning landscape when everything is in bloom!  In the  summer and fall there is an abundance of these fruits for all to enjoy and that serve as great nutrition not only for the humans, but the fruit eating animals and birds.
      Behind our home there was a neglected orchard that had become overgrown with wild grape and wild cucumber vines.  Even with that hindrance, there were some apples that grew.  They were not fit for humans, but the animals enjoyed them.  One day there was a tornado (very rare in NY) that passed through our neighborhood and actually bounced over our home, but touched down just behind it uprooting two huge old apple trees.  What a picture of what You are conveying to me today, Lord.
      We also lived by Lake Ontario and saw, and were caught in, some serious storms when the lake whipped up into a frenzy of large waves called whitecaps.  They can capsize little boats, and even sink big ones if they get strong enough.  This is a good description of what these men can do in a church that allows them to stay.  They can "capsize" the  faith of  baby and very young believers and sink  older saints if the are not "sea worthy" in their faith by keeping their ship in top shape.
      We have all seen comets or "Wandering Stars" streak across the sky.  They have no permanent spot in space, they can be very destructive to anything in their path, and can burn out very quickly.
      Jude says that the darkest part of Hell is reserved for these men.
Lord, I VERY humbly thank You and praise You for the truth You have shown and taught me over these years in our journey together.  Thank You for rescuing me from my destructive path!