Living 4 Him

“As the Father loved me, so I have loved you.  Abide in my love.” John 15:9 (NKJV)

Jesus’ disciples received great wisdom the night before he died.  Gathered in the upper room, Jesus spoke words recorded in John 14-17.  At the beginning of John 15, Jesus paints an image of himself as a vine and we, the branches, connected in a thriving relationship.  Several times, he invites the disciples to abide in him.  Then, in verse 15 he deepens the relationship to another level and invites them to abide in his love.

The word abide is also translated remain, continue or stay.  Whatever word we choose to say it, abiding in God’s love is the supreme place to dwell. 

If we view God as love, (1 John 4:8), then we realize God’s great love gives birth to EVERYTHING we have; the beautiful earth, our intricate human bodies, our gifts, our salvation and eternity, our spiritual connection, the Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Word, his abundant generosity, his everlasting mercy. . . this list is absolutely endless. 

God’s great love exists forever.  His love reaches across time and space, pouring into our hearts and minds, filling us with exactly what we need at the right moment. His love is a presence, surrounding and grounding us in holy work.  God’s love remains and sustains, holding us in a blanket of his awesome glory.

God’s love is able to do what we cannot do; heal brokenness into beauty, fill empty spaces full, turn darkness into light, bring new life to dead places. God’s love wraps around this world as a haven of his holiness.

Psalm 91 describes God as a refuge, a shelter where we are protected and kept safe from harm.  Promises of strength and encouragement abound in this Psalm, one of the most popular chapters accessed according to on-line Bible apps.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High  will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. If you make the Lord your refuge,  if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. Psalm 91: 1-2; 9-10

When our daughter was 4, she discovered how to create a ladybug gym from an informative book about ladybugs.  Using twigs, rocks, popsicle sticks, clay and a large open box, she designed a welcoming place for ladybugs to play.  Sometimes she found ladybugs to place in the gym; other times a ladybug would fly in by itself to join the fun. What joy we had in watching the ladybugs scurry around the playground paradise laid out just for them! But there always came a time when the ladybugs would fly away because they had a choice . . . . they could choose where to abide.

We choose where to abide as well.  We can abide in worry, frustration, misunderstandings, busy schedules, never-ending mounds of work. . . the list is absolutely endless.  Or we can abide in God and his love; a love providing everything our souls and bodies need, a love existing at all times and in all ways, a love that thrives beyond our own means.

With an open heart and arms reaching wide, God has created a shelter of his love for you. Make God your refuge and nothing else will conquer you.

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul): Read John 15:1-9 and Psalm 91 often during the next few days and reconnect yourself to God’s love for you.

Reaching out (taking God’s work into the world):  God’s shelter moves with us wherever we go.  If you stay at home or if you are on the go, imagine God’s love as your protecting refuge wherever you are.