Abide in Christ

 

Abiding is one of the most beautiful words in the English language! It includes the concept of union, oneness, fullness, belonging, continuity, prevailing, resting and being made complete. It conjures up visions of luxuriating in a huge feather bed, floating on still waters, lying down in a field of flowers, of having no lack and feeling perfectly comfortable. Abiding in Christ actually does supply us with this combination of safety and provision.

Abiding in Christ also provides us with a restored soul as His goodness and mercy pursue us all the days of our life (Psalm 23). God gives us all of His blessings, but so often we turn from them and from Him. We choose to live life through our own effort, so that we will gain the power and praise. We refuse to submit to the Spirit’s direction because we want to live life our own way. We compromise with the flesh, the world and the devil and we ruin our testimony to the world and our union with our Heavenly Father.

I challenge you to turn from living life your way and choose God’s way instead. Hold fast to His promises, acquire His blessings and allow His Spirit to incorporate His fruit and gifts into your life. God beckons us to come to Him to find rest for our soul – our mind, will and emotions (Matthew 11:28-29). God calls us to take up His yoke, so that He may bear the weight of our load. A yoke is not torturous or restraining, but enabling; as long as we yield to His will each moment of the day.

Abiding in Christ brings us complete peace and joy, which defy description and go beyond human reasoning. The longer we walk with God, the deeper we abide in His rest. We feel complete in Him and experience intimate fellowship and enduring fulfillment. This happens gradually as we surrender more and more of our humanity and carnality to Christ’s divinity within us, as we abide under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:1).

We live in perfect rest as we relinquish our self to God and entirely surrendered our life to His management and care. Christ reigns supreme in every area of our life. We live in undivided commitment to Him with our whole spirit, soul and body. We seek to please Him and to further His kingdom with our every thought, word and action. We have no hidden agendas or ulterior motives. We simple rest in His love and abide in His presence continually.

Prayer:

Father God, simply taking up Your yoke eases our burdens and keeps us in the center of Your will. You care for us as a mother nurtures her child. You protect us as a father who rises up to defend his family. We are joint heirs with Christ and children of Your Kingdom (Romans 8:17). As we fully trust in You, You supply all of our needs and fill our soul with gladness (Philippians 4:19; Psalm 4:7). Remind us to surrender every part of our life to You. Help us to obey your directives, walk in Your Spirit and abide in You.

Thought for the Day:

In the heart of God we find safety and victory, peace and rest, acceptance and encouragement.

Spiritually Minded

The Lord Jesus Christ is our God. He saves us, rejoices over us with gladness, quiets us with His love and rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He dwells in the midst of our life. His Holy Spirit steadily draws us toward perfection as He convicts us of sin, and empowers us to walk in victory over these transgressions. Slowly, our soul – our mind, will and emotions – is sanctified, and readily rejects worldly pursuits and desires nothing more than to remain hidden with Christ in God.

As we fully absorb the concept that Christ now lives His life in and through us, we, as the Body of Christ, will truly make a difference in the world around us. We seek eternal goals and dreams, rather than material ones. God has a perfect will for our life, which surmounts the physical restrictions of this earthly realm (Acts 8:39). Time, space and matter no longer confine us. Jesus proved this when He walked on water. Christ in us put an end to sin and death in us. Now we can concentrate on His spiritual truth, rather than carnal limitations that we face in life.

We are dead in Christ, but also risen with Christ, in all of His wisdom, power and strength. The negative aspects and encounters we face in life take on a new meaning. We see them as instruments of God to improve our obedience and to perfect our faith. We view trouble and trials from an eternal mindset now. They no longer cause worry or stress, because we know without a doubt that God is in control even in these difficulties. Maybe our house burned down, the boss increased our quota, our loved one passed away, our mate divorced us, the bank account is empty or a child is bent on rebellion, to name a few circumstances. However, God is in control of even these trying times.

The soul in union with Christ no longer wastes any energy on worldly issues. We keep our focus solely on God and His peace reigns in our heart (John 14:27). We live in Him and by Him, because He dwells within us. Jesus gives us this union with the triune God. We have a personal, intimate relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is not reserved for a few individuals, but is available for all authentic Believers who are willing to lay down their life and to allow Christ to live in them and through them (1 Peter 2: 21-25).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we long to live as exact replicas of You! You lived in love, humility and surrender to our Father. Help us to pattern our life after You, so that everything we say and do will last throughout eternity. Your coming brought the eternity into the present for all Believers. We live in eternity with You now, because You reside in our spirit. Thank You for Your sacrifice and for opening Your heart to us and including us in Your Body. You are our joy, our life, our peace and our salvation. We eternally lift up our praises to You .  

Thought for the Day:

We experience God’s best when we completely surrender our life to Him.
 





Thank you, Michelle Benge, for the use of your lovely photo.

Gladness and Joy

Read: 1 Peter 1:8-9

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There are so many unhappy people in the world. They despise their job, disrespect their spouse, are irritated with their children, want a better house and car and wish they could go to some exotic island for vacation. They live vicariously through books and movies, trading this figment of their imagination for reality. They are usually so busy working to get more stuff that they do not have time to attend church or to develop their spiritual life at all. Christians often fit into this category as well.

If we change our focus to eternal matters, we live each moment of the day in gratitude for what He already provided. Then, He continues to provide our needs for that day as well. As we live our life open to the leading of His Spirit, He puts us in the right place, at the right time to carry out His will. No matter how desperate the circumstances are in our life, He promises to work them all out for our good (Romans 8:28) in His timing and in His way. All we need to do is to trust that He knows what is best for us.

Having an eternal viewpoint of life on this earth, gives us a whole new perspective on what we experience. The carnal world and fleshly desires fade away, as we focus on doing the will of God (1 John 2:17). God’s will is actually very simple. He wants us to be transformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). If we focus on Him, He will take care of every other component in our life (Matthew 6:33). This way, we learn to be content just as Paul did when he was shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, hungry, exhausted, lonely and forsaken by all those he held dear (Philippians 4:12).

As we rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) and trust in Him instead of relying on our human wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6), we end up walking in His perfect will moment by moment throughout the day. We receive such a feeling of oneness with our Creator, such a fulfillment from helping others in their time of need and such a deep sense of joy the defies description (1 Peter 1:8). 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, although Your love is too great to fully comprehend, let us experience this love each day as we follow hard after You (Psalm 63:8). Let us be made complete in You, with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You (Ephesians 3:19). Give us Your shield of victory and sustain us throughout the trials of this life with Your mighty right hand (Psalm 18:35).

Thought for the Day:

Gladness and joy will overtake us, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. - Isaiah 35:10