Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- October 11, 2011
“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
What does it mean to remain in Jesus? Remain is to stay behind with Jesus and not run ahead of Him. Unbridled zeal can get sideways with what the Spirit wants to accomplish, but a believer bridled by the Holy Spirit has been with Jesus in focused abiding. His presence is pregnant with possibilities within an unhurried heart.
Our heavenly father desires for us to be present in His presence. In humility, we stand in awe with the One who gave His all. When we stay put at the feet of our Savior Jesus we position ourselves to listen and learn from our Lord. We remain in Him, so we can maintain our Master’s grace and glory. Remaining makes us like Jesus, because we become like the one we’re with.
“As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24).
It’s hard to remain content when friends are rushing by on their career fast track. It’s hard to stay put when you are put into a tempting situation. It’s hard to stay cool when anger causes you to heat up. It’s difficult, even impossible to do the will of God without being still before God. So, learn to stay engaged in the essence of who Jesus is: your holy and loving Lord.
He is the Word that has become flesh, so stay put in learning and applying the Scripture. Being grounded in God’s word keeps your feet on the solid ground of faith and faithfulness. Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives. Abiding in Jesus fills the mind with truth and the heart with hopeful waiting. The Bible gives you courage to boldly go into the Lord’s presence, as modeled by the men and women of faith in its pages.
“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (Acts 11:23).
Furthermore, remaining in Christ leads you to remain true to the Lord. There is a righteous resolve that flows from faithful abiding. You remain in His love and love flows from your life. You remain in His peace and peace punctuates your presence. You remain in His strength and strength settles your soul. You remain in Christ and you become like Christ. So, stay put with your Savior!
“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:10).
How can I remain well in the presence and power of Jesus and not run ahead of Him?
Related Readings: Psalm 38:15; 1 John 2:27; 1 John 3:9; Revelation 2:13
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