DEVOTION365 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples. John 15:7-8 The word abide has several meanings in English. It can mean to remain, to reside, to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, and to accept without opposition. Jesus is saying in order for us to be productive as Christians we are to abide with Him in every sense of the word. In the previous verses Jesus uses a grapevine as a metaphor. He compares Himself to the vine and us, His disciples, to the branches. The vine supports every branch. It connects them as a system, a network working toward one purpose, to bring forth fruit. The branches would fall to the ground without the support of the vine. The vine also links the branches to the ground where the all-important root system joins the earth, giving the branches both stability and nutrition. The vine acts as both anchor and a provider of life. Connecting with Jesus, abiding with Him, results in positive productivity. Jesus is telling us if we accept these conditions that He will grant us anything we want. But that proposition comes with a very important caveat. Our desires must glorify the Father. That condition certainly limits the scope of those things desired. We have to mature beyond the point of simply wanting stuff, temporal things. But I tell you now, if we truly accept Jesus’ conditions, the things we desire will change because we will be changed. We will lose our taste for worldly things alone, knowing that God has already promised to furnish the needs of Kingdom Seekers. We will earnestly aspire to spiritual riches and focus more on being a blessing to others. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 Meditation: Honestly share the desires of your heart with God and take note of what they are. Write them down to objectify them, to see them as they are. Then soberly assess their necessity in your life. Are they extras or essentials. If you possessed them would they enable you to glorify God more effectively, be tools to build a stronger relationship with Him, and position you to be a greater blessing to others, or would they be an impediment to your walk with Jesus. Would they make you a more productive, fruitful Christian or simply increase your worldly net worth. Prayer: Almighty God, fine tune my heart to recognize and desire only those things that will edify me and lift me to that higher rock, where I can worship you powerfully, connect to you strongly, and bless others meaningfully. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:24:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015