As followers of Christ we are to be imitators; imitating God and the life He lived through His son, Jesus. Developing a healthy rhythm of Abiding, Loving, and Serving is essential in the life of a disciple (a student of Christ).
God introduced a healthy rhythm when He first created Adam and Eve. On our first full day as humans we got to hang out with God the whole day. This models the idea that we ought to work from rest, rather than rest from work. Jesus also modeled this same principle in Mark 1:12-13. Before Jesus began His ministry, he spent 40 days with His Father and no one else. We should never expect to live this abundant life if we don’t follow the same path Christ did.
Scripture:
• Spend some time slowly reading and meditating Mark 1:12-13 and John 15:1-8.
Reflection:
• When you think about “wasting time with God,” what fears do you have? Do you tend to work from rest or rest from work?
• What happens to you when you go without regular rhythms that allow you to rest in God?
Practice:
• You have probably already spent 5-10 minutes with God just by starting this first day of the devotional book, but plan on taking at least another 5 minutes and just sit silently with God. Start by reading John 15:4: “Abide in Me. And I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” If you find that you continue to be distracted just recite the verse again and return to resting in God. Set a timer so you do not worry about time.
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3 comments:
As difficult as it may be to admit, today's devotion only revealed to me how badly I have needed to abide in Him. It's been a while, and the disconnect I feel because of it is evident. I am hoping that this year's Jesus Conspiracy helps me begin to close the gap between myself and the Lord.
I'm with you, Amy. Last year's series was a blur. I am hoping to be more intentional this year, both with my participation with the Sojourner's community as we dwell on the topic of abiding AND in my focus on actually abiding in Him.
Yesterday's devotion reminded me of the love Jesus has for me in abiding. It reminded me that there are seasons in life, and we need to undeerstadn what season we are in and allow ourselves to be in that season. Some seasons are about pruning, some about harvesting, but all seasons require that we abide in the true vine.
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