Abiding is one of the most beautiful words in the
English language! It includes the concept of blending, togetherness, completion,
belonging, permanency, conquering, resting and being made complete.
Abiding in Christ takes all of the frustration and
stress out of life. We relax as if we are luxuriating in a huge feather bed, or
floating down a quiet stream, or sitting in the midst of a field of flowers.
When we abide in Christ we lack no good thing, we
feel perfectly comfortable regardless of our circumstances, and we know that He
will keep us safely tucked under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 40:11, 91: 4-5).
Although God promises to shower us with His blessings
by opening up the windows of heaven (Malachi 3:10), so often we turn from them
and from Him. We choose to live life through our own efforts, so that we will
gain the power and praise.
We refuse to submit to the Spirit’s direction
because we want to maintain control. We compromise with the flesh, the world
and the devil; and we ruin our Christian testimony to the world, as well as our
intimacy with our Heavenly Father.
Eventually, God brings a turning point into our
life. We are reduced to nothing; so that we desperately decide to cling to His
promises, to accept His blessings, and to allow His Spirit to incorporate His
fruit and gifts into our life.
God beckons us to come to Him to find rest for our
soul – our mind, will and emotions (Matthew 11:28-29); He challenges us to take
up His yoke, so that He may bear the weight of our load, and to yield to His
will each moment of our day.
Prayer:
Father God, You restore our soul and provide us
with goodness and mercy all of the days of our life (Psalm 23).
Thank You for bringing us to the place where we
feel complete in You. We experience intimate fellowship and enduring
fulfillment with You. The more we surrender our limiting humanity and carnality
to Christ’s divinity within us, the closer we come to continually abiding under
the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:1).
Remind us that we will live in perfect rest only as
we relinquish our self to Your management and care. Please continue to perfect
us until Your Son reigns supreme in every area of our life. We want to live in
undivided commitment to You with our whole spirit, soul and body, and to seek
to please You and to further Your kingdom with our every thought, word and
action.
Thought for the Day:
Abiding in Christ brings us complete peace and
joy, which defies description and goes beyond human reasoning; so that the
longer we walk with God, the deeper we abide in His rest with no hidden agendas
or ulterior motives - simply resting in His love and abiding in His presence
continually.
