PART 2: GROW

 DAY 6 -  REMAIN

Verse 4: Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

Jesus calls us to abide or remain or to be with Him. How do we abide in a digital world that pings,  and screens that light up every other minute?

Many things are grabbing our attention each day and the immediacy of everything is to the point of being ridiculous. Everything is on-demand with the touch of one button, and everything demands our attention in like manner. In a way, one can say these things have acquired an ever-abiding presence in our lives.

The pressures of work are real – long hours, long commutes to and from office, and deadlines. 

Our relationship with Jesus cannot and should not be another pressure point; rather he should be the place where all pressure gets released. Meeting Him ought to be a joy rather than a duty. What may start, as a discipline can eventually become a delight. It is like when you first learn an instrument. Sheer discipline gets you through the daily practice of scales, exercises, etc. until finally, when you begin to play actual tunes, you begin to enjoy the experience.

Jesus does not come to add to your burdens but he is our burden bearer, He is the lifter of our heads. He does not put heavy, legalistic demands on us. He is calling us into a love relationship with Him. Abiding with Jesus should de-stress you. In his presence is peace because He is peace.

When you love someone, you want to spend time with him or her. You are not timing it or clocking in. Time is never enough. That is what Jesus is calling us into – a restful abiding in His presence – out of joy and not duty.

“Remain in me as I remain in you”.  

How does He remain in us? He takes his permanent residence in our hearts. He is going no where. He has now made his dwelling among us. Therefore, we have God’s indwelling presence in our hearts. We need to rejoice in this truth – we are the only people on the planet that can say God dwells in us and speaks to us. Just pause and think how truly awesome is that?

His presence with us is not conditional upon how I behave or respond to Him. He is with us for keeps. Forever! He is not a man that He should lie. If he says he will never leave us, He will NEVER leave us. What blessed assurance!  He is committed to us to the point where He has promised never to leave nor forsake us. He said He will be with us till the very end of the age. That is how He wants us to be committed to him.

Our fruit-bearing that resembles Jesus is dependent upon our remaining in Him.  Just as an apple tree produces apples and not bananas, when we are connected to Jesus, our fruit will reflect Him 

REFLECT AND ASK YOURSELF| 

What can I do to make my time with Jesus a delight?  I find listening to worship, or a message that talks about the character of Jesus help me to connect better. I also journal my thoughts about Him and who He is to me.

How can I practice becoming aware of His presence in everything that I do?

Spend five minutes listening to Him talk to you and tell you how much he loves you. You will be surprised at the wonderful things he has to say to you about you.