Learning to Abide

Most Loving Lord, I long to dwell with You forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your arms.  You are my Protector and Strong Defense when I am fearful or vulnerable.  When my faith is strong, I have no problem believing You will carry me through whatever difficulty I might face.  To be able to trust You, I must be in harmony with You … our hearts beating as one and our thoughts on the same plain.  If my human instincts tell me to flee, I need to wait expectantly for You to come to my aid.  If I get unnerved when facing evil, worldly philosophies and the unknown, I become unsure, inconsistent and double-minded … feeling like I’m standing on shifting sand.  Since You are consistent and unchanging, I need to stick with You and watch as you settle the unknowns surrounding me.  Abiding in You requires that I learn how to stay put and stop taking off on my own.  Instead, I must not lose sight of the fact that it was You who created me, You who knows everything about me and You who has my best interests at heart.

You’ve instructed me through Your Word to remain in You and You will remain in me.  I know I cannot bear good fruit without You.  Since You are the source of all goodness, good fruit can only be manifest through Your pre-eminence in my life.  Because You are the Vine and I am the branches, it is Your supply that enables me to produce good fruit.  When I do not stay in tune with You, I become confused, unstable and unreliable.  As I continue my pursuit of You and Your Word, I know Your promises will be fulfilled in my life … and, the good fruit produced will be manifest in the form of answered prayers, peace, contentment and prosperity.  When I obey Your commands, I will remain in good standing and I will be rewarded for my efforts.  To truly abide requires that I believe You are the Son of God … accept Your gift of salvation … do what You ask of me … trust You with every aspect of my life … and, not shy away from sharing the Good News of Your love with everyone I meet.

The primary reason to abide in You is not self-gratification or having all of my needs met … rather, it is to become grounded in servanthood and growth in my faith.  To dwell in You requires that I cling, with all diligence, to You (as my God) and Your Word (as my Truth) and not abandon them when faced with trials and adversity.  You are the Sure Rock on which I stand … Your Word gives testimony to the depth of Your love and commitment to me … and, the Holy Spirit infuses me with Your wisdom and power.  In persisting with You, I am able to maintain a stable mind, shun evil and walk unselfishly.  In becoming one with You, I draw upon Your ability to overcome and prevail.  The only way I can maintain a good and productive life is by staying plugged into You.  Learning to abide in You insures me of a permanent and “normal” relationship that I can rely on.  And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray.  AMEN!!

I John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him; that when He shall appear, you may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

1 thought on “Learning to Abide”

  1. I feel that I know quite a few “abiders”–I try to be one of them. What better plce is there?? Priase Him!

    Reply

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