“Abide In Me”

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” – John 15:5-7, NIV

Taken from a Duracell ad in a Sears Store

The busyness of this life can be one of the most detrimental things in the life of the believer.  Many times throughout the Scriptures, the word for “evil” actually can be translated “toil”.  (John 17:15 is a prime example).   Toil steals life from those who embrace it.  It is draining and fruitless.

The word for ‘remain’ that Jesus uses when He is speaking to His disciples  is translated “to remain with, to tarry or wait upon, to stay in a given place.”  So much of what we can get wrapped up in is a whole lot of labor—busywork that creates in us a sense of accomplishment but at the end of the day, there is little or no good fruit that remains.

Jesus was clear that we are to seek the Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33) and that everything else would be added to us.  Can you honestly say that you are doing just that?  If He asked you to leave behind everything that is comfortable and safe in your life and embrace a life of adventure and uncertainty, could you?

Would you be willing to move to a foreign nation where you know no one and can’t speak the language, simply if He asked you to?  Could you trust Him that much?  The level of trust that we need for a true life of faith is only found through times of intimacy with our Lord.  It is what powers us.  It is what gives us life.

Branches cannot survive without being connected to their vine.  The branches in and of themselves cannot generate any kind of life-giving sustenance.  The nutrition that the branch needs can only come from the vine as it remains one with the branch.  We are much the same in our relationship with Christ.

If we find ourselves consistently losing energy, motivation, our dreams, or even provision and health, that is a pretty solid indication that we have removed ourselves from the source of Life.   Let today be the day to reorient your life and turn toward the One who is ever-waiting to speak with you.  The breakthrough you need and have been crying out for resides in the secret place with Him.  Seek Him, and you will the answer that your heart yearns for.

Prayer:

Jesus, I know that there has been so much in my life that has led to a whole lot of fruitless labor.  I have been feeling worn down, beat up, and not even close to living the victorious Christian life that You designed.  Change my heart and help me to make it a priority to spend time with You.  My motivation is for the sake of intimacy—not for the sake of coming to You with a long list of problems for You to fix.  Thank You for creating me to be one with You.  I ask that You would teach me how to effectively and lovingly abide and rest in Your Presence.  Amen.

10-9-09
Redding, CA
1:36 AM

As I was sitting on our bed this evening trying to ponder how the next several weeks of our lives were going to pan out, my wife knocked some sense into me.  I could feel the panic of uncertainty begin to creep in…swirling speculations and unanswered questions about things that the unrenewed human mind demands answers to.   After this came that sinking feeling of depression and the unspoken, unacknowledged fear and doubt that God would abandon us and that we would be left alone to fend for ourselves, starving and confused in a world that is starving and confused.

All this considering that Jesus told us very clearly:

a.) to not be afraid

and

b.) that He would never leave us or forsake us.

The story quickly comes to mind of when the disciples and the Lord were sitting in a boat. They had forgotten to bring bread and Jesus knew immediately where their minds would go. He warned them to be careful of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod (Mark 8:14-21). They had only one loaf of bread in the boat and had already seen the miraculous provision of God several times prior to this experience.

The disciples’ first response was to focus on their perceived lack instead of recognizing that the God of abundance was dwelling amongst them. This was what He was warning them against.

Everything is about perspective. Whatever we focus on will always be multiplied. Jesus was telling them to look through the lens of their history with Him to get where they needed to go.   They had experienced the multiplying of the loaves and fishes twice at this point and yet still their hearts were hardened to the reality of life in the Kingdom of God…the life of abundant and supernatural provision.  And not only provision, but the life of more than enough! His final statement to them in this story is “Do you not yet understand?”

When our vision is impaired, so therefore is our understanding.  If what we are looking at is not what God wants us to be looking at, our perception and understanding will be skewed as well. What we see will define the decisions that we make. What we are looking at or who we are looking to will always determine the outcomes that arise.

Anyway, as I was allowing the devil to try and plant these stupid thoughts in my mind, Laura said something that really struck me.  I knew it was God speaking through her.

I had just finished saying, “I am just concerned because I don’t see how all of this is going to work out.”

Her response was immediate and authoritative. “Ryan, we never know how it’s all going to work out. We never have, and we never will.  All we know is that it will work out.  It always has, and it always will.”

Oh, SHIFT!

Something shifted in that moment. I was overcome with a sense of joy and peace that was completely supernatural. In a moment of time, there was a total shift in my thought processes. It was as if all of the voices of speculation and doubt and unbelief and fear and paranoia and anxiety and worry were instantaneously silenced with one trustworthy voice of faith and hope.

What shifted was my perspective. My focus was drawn back to the One who is Provision. My eyes were placed on the One who is Hope.   My heart was stilled by the One who is Peace. My mental storms were calmed by the One who calmed the storm.  All of the confusion was burned away in the fires of His all-consuming Love.

He is not a man that He should lie.  His words are true.  His arm is not too short to save.  He is the Lord of Hosts.  He is the Lord, Mighty in Battle.  He is a Man of War.   He goes before us as a raging fire.

The trouble is not so much that we are faced with legitimate problems as much as it is that the human desire to be comfortable comes into a violent collision with the necessity to be pliable and yielded to the heart and will of God.

And so we rest.  We let go.  We release the reins of our lives and hand them over to the Author of Life.   We will not bow to subtle forms of manipulation or control as we seek to navigate this seeming minefield of life that we have found ourselves in.  We are His sheep and we hear His voice.  The voice of another we shall not follow.

Peace and health and abundance and life and love are our inheritance.  All things are ours in Christ.  Joy is an inside job.  Joy comes from knowing who you are.

And we are children of God.