Abide

 

From THRIVE with God on YouVersion

One of the best times of the year (in my humble opinion) is when it’s not too hot, certainly not cold, and the sun is shining bright. The sun rays warm our bodies, we can relax outside without melting, and we may even find ourselves saying, “This weather is so perfect.” It is pure bliss! When we think of abiding in God, it is a similar experience. Every moment feels like that perfect, blissful day. He fills our souls, He gives us rest, and He provides a gentle, soothing comfort that words cannot do justice to describe. But what exactly does abiding in God actually mean? Abiding in God means that we are living, remaining, or continually dwelling in His presence. It means that after we have eagerly sought His face, our heart posture stays towards Him. It means that each and every day we make an intentional effort to acknowledge our God. Lastly, it means being filled to the brim with comfort, joy, peace, love, and so much more because we are connected to the true vine.

John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. The one thing about abiding is that it requires something our society typically does not like to do – slow down. It may sound contradictory to us; we seek God with eagerness and urgency just to immediately slow down.

Psalms 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. However, we seek God with so much urgency because we are getting back in right standing with Him. The urgency is needed because when we are apart from Him our lives are frankly not quite the same. Once we are back in His presence, we can slow down because when we are with Him we have everything that we need. Abiding is not something we strive to do every once in a while, but it is a lifestyle that we aim to live every day of our lives.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Pray it Out: Lord, I admit there were times that I allowed life to get the best of me, and I strayed from dwelling with You. As a result, I bore fruit that did not look like You – the fruit of jealousy, sexual immorality, doubt, anger, fear, and so much more. I turn back to abiding in You, remembering that Your yoke is easy and burden is light. Thank You for the ability to abide in You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen Write it Out: What does your life schedule look like these days? Are you able to spend time abiding in God? If not, how can you make room for Him in your life?