abide
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5 ESV
Keep going, friend. The Lord will finish what He’s started.
In the same way, as branches can only bear fruit if they abide in the vine, we can only live fruitful lives by abiding in Jesus. This means our highest pursuit and greatest calling is to pursue our relationship with Christ.
The Greek word for abide used most frequently in the New Testament was meno, translated as “to stay,” continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain.
As we do— fruit grows.
This fruit is not what the world may perceive as fruit: success, money, influence, power, ease, and comfort. But rather the fruit of the Spirit: love, patience, goodness, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Ga 5:22-23).
None of which derive from striving or behavior modification but by being with Jesus. Delighting in Jesus. Beholding Jesus.
In every season. In every circumstance, we abide.
Even if you can’t see it— Abide.
Even when you can’t feel it— Abide.
Believe what Jesus has promised is happening. It just takes time. And at the end of it all, you’ll find Him.
Don’t give up, friend. Whatever the Lord has called you to, be faithful to see it through. He’s not done with you yet. He is constant, and you have no idea what he’s preparing you for and whom you’ll meet along the way.
With love,
Makenzi
additional reading:
Psalm 63:1, John 1:38-39, 8:31-32, 1 John 2:6, Philippians 1:6
reflect:
We learned above the greek word for Abide means to stay—how might you stay in prayer this week? In God’s Word? In service to others? It’s easy to give up when we don’t see immediate fruit, but be encouraged to remain constant in your faith in Jesus.
centering prayer:
LORD, I’ll be the branches. Lead me in the way I should go, for to you, I entrust my life. amen.
