Abide

This is something I have been thinking a lot about lately, as I write and read through the Johns, and the Gospel of John. Over and over I noticed the word "abide" and it made me wonder what application it has to me. I soon found that it has a VERY important, vital role in my walk with the Father! While I tend to casually walk and converse and be with the Lord, I found that it is not enough. It is hard to be "crucified with Christ" if he is merely someone I check in with now and then. To ABIDE I must be constant in prayer, and in constant meditation on his Word. I see a sunset, I should say, "wow! Father, you made that, thank you! (In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth)" When I am frustrated I should say, "Father, I don't understand. I don't like this; help me!(I lift my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help come from the Lord who made the heavens and earth)" When life seems to crumble, and my heart feels as if it wont go on beating, I should give my tears to that bottle where he tenderly keeps them, and say "Oh my God, I don't even have words. Help my unbelief. Thank you that you know (but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words)."

I looked up "abide" in my strongs, and here is the word- Abide- meno, a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy):-abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), thine own.

Here are some verses that spoke to me on the subject, after all, it IS the LIVING Word of God!!

John 6:56- Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood aides in me, and I in him.
When I read this John 1:14 jumped into my mind- And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (we are to eat of that flesh!!)

John 15:4-5- Abide in me, and I in you. AS the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches, whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
When I read this verse, I think of how much I waste by not abiding in him! What a pitiful bit of nothingness I am outside of Christ! To the contrary, what an amazing thing to abide in him, thereby having HIM abide in me!Grace unknown.

1 John 2:24- Let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
(John 1:1- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.)

1 John 3:24- Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

(we are commanded to love....think on that)

2 John 1:9- Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
(James 1:22- But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, decieving yourselves.)

It has been a convicting but very good thing for me to realise, and it is amazing how perspective changes when I abide in Him, and He in me!! I can begin to see through the eyes of eternity. There is no view point quite so precious!

"And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me that I am his own"
Thats all for now, folks!