Abide in Me

Over the past couple months, I have been meeting with our SFNAZ pre-teen girls and now I have started meeting with our SFNAZ teen girls to go through bible study titled “Defined: Who God Says You Are.” It has been a blessing to my soul to hear the girls share their reflections on the study, but even more impactful has been the reflection on my own life that the study topics and discussion has triggered.

This week’s lesson was about the vital signs in our walk with the Lord; living constantly in His will and abiding or remaining in Him at all times. During this study, I have been focusing on one or more verses per week.  I have been working on applying the message of the verses in my unusually confined life. The verse this week was from the study with the girls in John 15:4.

I love to look up different versions of scripture when I become centered in on one verse.  I like The Message translations because I can connect to it easily, but this week I focused in on three different versions. As I began to dig into the beginning of each of the versions of scripture I was able to see the deeper meaning in this verse.

 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.” John 15:4 (MSG)

LIVE IN ME: The definition of “to live” means to occupy a home.  What powerful words to think on, to occupy Christ as our home.  We are all occupying our homes a lot right now. We are in different rooms and maybe cleaning spaces that we have neglected for awhile. When we think about our time of living in one space lately it can make one wonder if we are truly living in Christ intentionally.  Are you just mindlessly in the space with him or are you cleaning out the spaces and allowing him to get in the small corners of your life?

“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.” John 15:4 (NIV)

REMAIN IN ME: The definition of “remain” is to stay in the place that one has been occupying.  Staying in one spot or place is difficult for me.  I like to move around and not remain in one spot for too long, but I was challenged in this text this week.  I was convicted that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t remaining with God as much as I should be. If I am always trying to fill others with the good news and not remaining still to be fed by God, am I really bearing the fruit he wants to grow in me and through me?

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4  (ESV)

ABIDE IN ME: The definition of “abide” means to accept or act in accordance with.  To act in accordance with Christ.  To constantly be in action for God’s purpose is our calling. Are your actions driven by God’s purpose? Have you constantly been abiding in him during this confusing time we are in?

Dear Lord,

I know that I am commanded to abide in you and I desire to live my life day by day, simply resting and abiding in you. Teach me Lord how to abide in you, so that all that is of myself will melt away as the Spirit of Christ pulses through my being.

Give me the strength to be a fruitful branch, for you alone are my sufficiency. Enable me to abide in your love so that I may produce much fruit, out of the abundance of your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Blessings,

Pastor Hope Terhaar