Abide

Abiding in the Lord, (remaining in Him) seems like it should be one of the easiest parts of walking out our faith…but for me, and quite possibly you, it’s one of the most difficult.

A tree can easily remain rooted deeply into the soil of the earth because it has no option of walking away or fleeing at will. But the frailty of our humanity coupled with the generous free will the Father has granted, complicates the situation for us.

To remain deeply rooted in the fertile soil of our faith we must surrender over and over again to simply stay with the Father. We must resolve to remain with Him instead of wandering off into our own plans and our own desires. The brokenness of our flesh can lead us astray if we are not resolute about remaining in Him.

To stay with someone, you must be in close proximity to them. You must also be aware of where you are and where you are headed together. You must remember that you are being held, more than you are holding on, so that you don’t tighten your grip to the point of cutting off the one holding you.

Abiding seems to me like a delicate dance of moving in sync with the One who is leading you. Abiding requires a deep satisfaction in being connected to the God Man and tended to by the Father.

A branch that distrusts the vine will never bear the fruit it was intended.

A branch that distrusts the vine will never receive fully the nourishment that the vine supplies.

A branch that distrusts the vine will seek to be filled by sources outside of the vine.

Our ability to remain in the Lord is directly related to our trust in Jesus and willingness to be cared for by the Father, the gardener Himself.

God cares about who we become in Him because it is in and through Him that we bear much fruit. The fruit of our lives is not born of striving...it is born from abiding. Abiding in Him is how we become who He has designed us to be.

“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

Dear friends, let’s focus less on striving, producing, and keeping up with the world and more resolute on remaining in the Lord…right where we are, right now. Remain in Him and see the evidence of His presence born into the fruit of your life.

© Dani Hardy, September 23, 2019