I have come to realize that it might take me the first 6 months of 2010 just to discern the areas of pruning and cutting the Lord is wanting to do in my life and then a lifetime to surrender them. This is mainly due to placing myself on the throne of my life instead of submitting to the Lord and in some cases offering up reasons to keep those unfruitful and dead branches. I make excuses like, “that branch might produce fruit if I work a little harder” or “I might need that dead branch as a cane when I grow older” or “that dead branch doesn’t really interfere with my relationship with the Lord.” Crucifying self is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour and moment-by-moment intentional act, an act of obedience as we learned even in the last devotion.
If you will bear with me one more time concerning the word “Abide” you will notice in some translations the word is translated “remain” and means “to continue without fading or being lost.” Now that’s good . . . talk about security! Think back to that moment when you surrendered your will to Christ, believed and repented. The burden of your sin was lifted and all things became new. God the Father and Jesus his son made their home with you through the Holy Spirit and not a temporary home until you mess it up, not a summer home until your love wanes or a rental home until another spirit takes up resident, but a permanent home until we are welcomed into glory. To “abide” means their indwelling will continue and never fade away! The security deposit of the Holy Spirit places us in the kingdom to never be lost again!
So far, how are we to bear fruit?
To live dwelling in the presence of the LORD through His Word, prayer and worship
To live accepting or acting in accordance with the commandments and will of the LORD
To live knowing the Spirit of the LORD will never fade and we will never be lost again
Have an awesome week!
No comments:
Post a Comment