Abiding in His Presence

Abide... interesting word.. one that is not used very often in our day. I asked one of my teenage daughters what she thought the word meant and she said, matter-of-factly... "Um.. Mom, that means to hang out!"... you know, with a 'sing-song'.."get a clue" tone that only a 15 year old girl of the 21'st century is capable of using. The Webster's dictionary defines the word abide as: "To remain or settle down." A word that is definitely foreign to our society today !

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." John 15:1-4

To think that the Creator of the Universe gives each of us a personal invitation to abide with Him! Not to mention the fact that when we accept his invitation we are able to partake in the amazing love of Christ!

But how? How can we abide in Christ?

First... to abide anywhere, we must enter into the place. Before we can abide with an individual, we must enter into a relationship. The way to enter the relations with Jesus is by faith through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Trusting His death and resurrection for the payment of your sins. From the moment you accept Him, you can abide with Him in a personal relationship.

After we enter into the relationship, He invites us to come along side him and draw life from Him and hold on to Him like branches clinging to a vine. It is a life long journey!

We can abide through Prayer: "Draw nigh to God and He will draw night to you." James 4:8

We can abide through Trials: "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" 1Pe 1:7

I love the story I heard recently during Sunday School about the man in the old western times who was carrying a heavy bag of grain on his shoulder... another man drove by with a horse and one of those buckboard carts and said "Jump up here on the buckboard with me.. it's too hot to be walking today." The man thanked him and got up on the seat with the driver with the grain still on his shoulder. After a while, the driver said" Why don't you put that grain down and relax?" The man said, Oh, no. It's enough that you would allow me to ride... I would never ask you to carry my load, too!".

Is this what we are saying to the LORD? "Please save us, forgive us and give us a heavenly home.. but I wouldn't ask you to carry my load."

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Pe 5:7

"Dear Lord, thank you for your salvation invitation and the invitation to continually abide in Your presence. Help me to graciously accept your daily invitation to abide in your Holy Spirit abides in me, as I seek to lead a 'Cross-driven' life."