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Scripture: John 15:1-17
Focus Verses: “If you remain in me and my words remain in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father’s
glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John
15:7-8 (NIV)
The
following lines comprise what the disciples might have thought as Jesus shares
with them.
“Abide
with him?”
“What
does he mean?”
“We have
followed him all these months and assisted in his teaching. Yet he says he can now
call us friends.
“I don’t
understand where he is going with this.”
These
thoughts show the confusion the disciples felt when they heard Jesus talk about
his soon-coming death.
We who
live in the 21st Century collectively have doubts about what goes on
around us—either temporally or spiritually.
Jesus
tries to prepare his disciples for what lay ahead of them. He also shares
moments with us, his children, today as a way of making us ready for what will
enter our lives, as a way of giving us strength.
Does our
abiding with Jesus cause circumstances we would rather not have? I believe it
does. However, our abiding (remaining) with Jesus gives us strength to
withstand many difficulties that come our way.
Dear Father God:
We give thanks to You for allowing us to experience Your
grace and mercy. We appreciate Your going before us and being beside us
whenever we face difficult and trying circumstances. In Jesus’s name, we pray.
Amen
What do you mean when you say abiding with him causes circumstances we'd rather not have?
ReplyDeleteSandi, what I mean is that when we abide in Him, the world treats us badly. We become their enemy,in its eyes.
Delete