Abiding Love

For bedtime stories the birthday boy brings me the Word to read, for tender ears to hear before dreams come.  This is the third night in a row he has chosen the Bible as his "bedtime story."  Tonight he says, "Did you know that those words in red are what Jesus said?  He actually said those words, right there!"  Joy and love and excitement fill his voice and his eyes - I love his love for the Lord!  This childlike faith that Christ calls us to have is simply beautiful.  Fully trusting.  Fully loving.  Fully abiding.

So we read the words in red.  The words from THE WORD covered in the red sacrifice of His life.  Words that give life, words given by the author of life.

"Abide in me. . ."  John 15:4

He calls us to abide, to remain, to be in Him.  
He has called us to do many things, but the one thing that is of the greatest importance is abiding.  Ever dwelling in His presence.  Bringing our minds, our hearts, our souls into constant communion with Him.  Living and growing in our Lord.


"I am the vine, ye are the branches."  John 15:5

He is the source of all life.  In Him and Him alone we 'live and move and have our being.'  If we are indeed the branches, then we only grow when we are living in Him.  Being in His Word, praying, knowing Him. . .these are the practices of an abiding life. 

The imagery of the vine is beautiful.  He is the vine - He is the root of all we need.  Just meditate on that a moment.  He is all we need!  Our branch does not need this culture or friendships or self seeking desires.  All we need is found in Him and all we need to do is remain in Him.


"He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." v. 5

There will be fruit when we remain in our Lord.  I remember a time when we lived in the 'country.'  Our home was surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans and cotton and our nearest neighbor had a long grape vine in his yard.  By late August the vines were heavy with fruit.  The children and I were invited over to pick as many as we could eat - and much to their delight we would pick bowls full and overflowing.  Just imagining those grapes now brings a vivid picture to my mind of what Christ wants our life to be in Him.  He wants us to be full fruit bearing branches.  Branches who produce so much love and joy, peace and gentleness, that others will want to reach out and taste some of that love.  The hopeless will desire to grasp the hope they see in us, the hurting will want the fruit of forgiveness.  

This fruit also means sharing the Good News of Jesus, winning the lost for the kingdom of God.  Is my fruit pleasing to the Lord?  Am I living the abiding life?  Is my branch fully trusting in Him for all I need?  Does my life reflect His glory?  

These are the thoughts and questions I ponder now and hope my little ones who love the Word right now, will learn the life of abiding in Him.