Abide

Focus Scriptures: John 15

I’ve been listening to a worship song on repeat this week in my prayer time. This song is all centered around John 15. A fragment of some of the lyrics says, “I’ll remain in You, You’ll remain in me…” In this particular time of my life I feel especially inclined to abide. To remain. This is what believers are to always do. But sometimes I believe God will ask us to lean in even more to it. Which is where He has me personally. Not because of something I did or didn’t do. Most of the time it’s because He’s doing something new in me. Something that can only be done if I hold still and abide.

When you read John 15 you see Jesus talking to His disciples about the vitality of abiding in Him. He is the Vine, we are the branches, and God is the Vinedresser. Jesus makes the bold, true statement that apart from Him we can do nothing. Looking at the actual definition of abide I saw words like wait, yield, remain, stay, continue. And honestly, to me, all of those words describe abiding so accurately. Yes, it’s to remain, but it’s also yielding to Him and saying yes, God, your will not mine. It’s waiting until He’s finished pruning and cutting away what’s not spiritually healthy. It’s staying still and staying put even if it gets uncomfortable. It’s continuing to choose to abide day after day even when you don’t feel like it.

When you’re exhausted, abide. When you’re angry, abide. When you’re grieving, abide. When you’re lonely, abide. When you’re hurting, abide. The list can go on and on with many different life circumstances and changes, but the one thing that remains the same is the call to abide in Him. It’s because of the many life changes and circumstances that we ever so need to. Gosh, how we need Him. It really is the truth of all truths. Apart from Him we can do nothing, but why would we even try? Hear His gentle call to you to abide.

As always,

Be pretty. Be you.

You are so deeply loved.