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"As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love." John 15:9
 

 

The Person of Abiding

 

Abiding is all about the most important friendship of your life. Abiding doesn't measure how much you know about your faith or your Bible. In abiding, you seek, long for, thirst for, wait for, see know, love, hear, and respond to....a person. More abiding means more of God in your life, more of Him in your activities, thoughts and desires.

 

In our Western-style rush to do and perform for God, we often falter at the task of simply enjoying His company. Yet we were created to be dissatisfied and incomplete with less. In the words of the psalmist, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1)

 

If our need for this relationship is so deep and constant, why do so few of us pursue it? One of the primary reasons, I'm convinced, is that we don't really believe God likes us. Sure, we believe God loves us in a theological sense (God loves everybody, right?), but we don't feel particularly liked by Him. We're convinced that He remembers all the bad things we've done in the past and is quick to judge how we're doing now. We assume He's impatient, busy with more important things, and reluctant to spend time with us.

 

Why would you want to spend time with a person who felt that way about you?

 

If you were to list the qualities of your best friend, I expect you would list things like "She accepts me," "He always makes time for me," and "I always leave her presence feeling encouraged." What you appreciate in a best friend is precisely what God offers. He is trustworthy and patient. When He looks at you, He does not call to mind the sins you've asked Him to forgive. He sees only a beloved child, a worthy heir.

 

And this God- your Friend - wants to abide with you even more than you want to abide with Him. Jesus said, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." (John 15:9). Did you catch that? Stay, luxuriate, find real love "in my love"!

 

If we really abided in His love, we would come away feeling so nourished, so cherished, so liked that we would rush back to Him whenever we could.

 

 

Today's devotion taken from: Secrets of the Vine

written by Bruce Wilkinson

To purchase a copy of this book contact the church office; 9387 2300.

 

 

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