Abide.

I'm reading a book and the author talks about this topic that has caught my heart and mind. The word is ABIDE. Looking more into this word I began my search in John 15. Verse 4 says, "Abide in Me, and I will remain in you." Verse 5 says, "Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." Verse 8 says, "When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father."

If I'm not abiding in Him, all other things are useless. All my striving and planning and dreaming will be null if I'm not seeking Him. When I think of abide other words that come to mind are: stay, remain, keep, survive, obey, follow.

Definition [verb]: accept or act in accordance with.

Abide never ends. It doesn't end at work, when we eat, or when we go out. It doesn't start when we go to church, when we quiet ourselves. Abide just is, we are consistently in a state of remaining in Him. We are practicing a lifestyle of constant prayer and communication. As we abide, the relationship with Christ that will blossom will be one of intimacy and knowing.

There is great promise when we abide, He will remain in us. What greater promise is there? No human can offer that same promise, not because of not wanting but because they are human and control nothing.

As He remains in us He promises to prune us to help us grow and He promises that fruit will grow. Good and lasting fruit. As we abide we will grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. The true testament of where our roots are planted. And the purpose? To know Him and to bring Him glory. And that shall be my aim, to abide in Him; because knowing Him is worth more that life itself.

To know Christ is life's greatest achievement.

L. B. Cowman