Day 3: Abide by Faith

Come Before Him In Worship: Take a moment to offer yourself to the Lord in whole today. Let go of any resistance, only allowing Him to take over. Let Him soften your heart as you wait on His tender whispers to guide you in your learning, in your remaining. He who promises is faithful. “Lord, everything that’s within me praises Your holy name! Thank You for what You will do!”

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7

Devotion: Paul teaches us here that, not only do we come to Jesus by faith; but that, by faith also, we are “rooted,” “built up” and “established” in Jesus. As essential as faith is in coming to Jesus, it is equally essential to the rest of our spiritual lives. It’s easy to slide into the belief that, once we are saved, we now have to try to become like Jesus through our own work and efforts. But, as we learned yesterday, Jesus doesn’t leave us to do this work on our own. Our job as the “branches” is to abide in Jesus, who is the “vine”, so that he can bear the fruit of his love and life through us! So, to put this differently: abiding involves believing.

But what, exactly, are we believing? We are believing in the strength of the vine to hold us, nourish us, grow us and bear fruit through us! And we are believing these things no matter how many times we have failed to follow Jesus in the past! Remember that, upon your salvation, irrespective of your failures, you took Jesus at His word and were saved! If He did that for you when you were yet His enemy, how much more will He fulfill His promise to forgive you for your failures to follow Him (your failures to abide) since that day and to fill you anew with His Spirit and bear fruit through you again as you seek to abide in Him today?

Keeping the thought “I am in Christ” in our hearts and minds, reminds us that it is not our job to achieve something great in our own strength. Yes, we are called to daunting things: to empty ourselves, obey, pray faithfully, bear fruit, but “all things are possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23). Let your faith lay holdof a new power in Christ today. Trust in the strength of your mighty Savior, and know that, because He is your vine, you can abide in Him victoriously! “And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

Respond in Prayer: Lord, I need You. I need You to teach my heart the way of faith. I need You to help me believe that You are the Author, the Story, and the Storyteller; that the good work You started in me You will fulfill until the day of Christ Jesus; that You are the One who brings the increase, and that my only job is to believe in the One you sent. You said in Your Word that if I don’t believe I won’t be able to enter into Your rest, so help my unbelief Father because I desire Your rest!

Spirit of wisdom and revelation, enlighten the eyes of my understanding so that I can see and know the Author and Perfecter of my faith rightly. Work out in me a childlike faith that isn’t tainted by any internal or external baggage or noise. As I abide in You, let this substance of faith be formed and embedded in the innermost part of my being. Thank You Lord for the finished work!