Abide. [Musings from Moira at the end of the year]

"Abide in me, and I in you."

~ John 15:4

John 15 is chock full of encouragement and warnings about the importance of abiding in Christ and his love. It is repeated over and over and over.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is he that bears much fruit, for apart from you you can do nothing."

~ John 15:5

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified."

~ John 15:7-8

" Abide in my love."

~ John 15:9

Abide. Abide. Abide. What does it mean?

According to Dictionary.com, abide means:

• “to remain; continue; stay”
• “to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc.”
• “to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting”
• “to have one's abode; dwell; reside”
• “to accept without opposition or question”
• “to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for”

That last one really grabbed my attention, but the definitions I want to focus on right now are other ones listed. It's the idea of persistence, perseverance, and bold commitment. A constant communion with. An unswerving, intentional relationship. All directly used in the context of our relationship with God in John 15. This has been resonating in my heart and soul over the last month on outreach.

I want to share with you a portion of a prayer from my journal a few weeks ago:

“God! This is the cry of my heart! I come to you completely satisfied, yet desperately hungry for more of you. You never end. Show me your true face in greater measure than ever before! ... It is that beautiful thought that you are closer than the air I breathe and still you beckon me further into your embrace... Make my eyes to see your face. Let my spirit never slumber. Let my soul never sleep. You are true. Let your presence be my only reality... This is the cry of my heart.” (December 17^th, 2014)

Matthew 11:28-29 says that God's yoke is easy and his burden is light. When we come to him, he promises rest for our souls. Even in the midst of leading a team by myself and all the responsibilities and stresses it presents, I have found myself unexplainably free of the weight of it all because of the goodness and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is faithful to respond when we earnestly seek him and ask him to strip everything else away. It has been a painful and joy-filled process and it continues to present new obstacles to overcome with the help of my Father.

It can be a frightening prospect, asking the Lord to show you what it means to abide. Because the Lord is holy and perfect. And we are not. But he sees us as a saints and calls us to perfection:

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

~ Matthew 5:48

The process of purification will undoubtedly be painful at times, because it is a purging of human nature and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord. It will test your limits and challenge your very mindset. But the Lord promises that nothing is impossible with him and that we can do all things through the strength of Christ. The all-powerful Lord is more than able to carry us through anything that presents itself in our lives, especially if it is a result of our pursuit of him. He is faithful. And his desire is to ABIDE with his children.

That's the whole gospel. God loves his kids and because he didn't want us to be robots, mindlessly obeying his every whim. He created us with brains to discover, hearts that long for love, personalities that are creative and unique, and the will and passion to live life to the fullest. He didn't create us because he was lonely. He is in constant and perfect communion with the three parts of himself. The Father, Son and Spirit are consistently and forever in a perfect, selfless union that cannot be broken. God cannot be separated from himself. He created humankind to be a reflection of the his relationship with the glorious trinity. Everything that is, in its original, intended state, is a direct reflection of the beautiful Creator. And the thing that blows my mind is that he absolutely desires my heart. My mind. My thoughts. My concerns. My hopes. My dreams. My talents. My life.

I am discovering what it means to abide with the King of Kings. My Creator. My Saviour. My Father. My Counsellor. My Friend.

He is beckoning you further into his embrace. Will you respond? Will you allow him to take you on a journey of purging and refining that will shake your foundation and rebuild it on the truth of who He is and who you are? Will you ask the Father to show you what it means to be satisfied and desperate at the same time? This is why we are alive. It's ultimately up to you.

These are the musings I have had that hopefully have made it on to paper in words that make sense. It is the last day of 2014. I am STOKED to begin the new year with a revelation of what it means to abide with my God. And I am excited that this journey of discovery never ends. God is way to big for anyone to say they have grasped it all and there is nothing left to learn. I just really love my Lord!!

We have 18 days left in the Philippines and we are looking forward to all that the Lord will continue to do in and through us here and when we go home.

Click HERE to watch a video that will brighten your day!

As always, thank you (Salamat Po!) for your love, prayer and support!

Thank you to the Lord for his grace and faithfulness!

Lots and lots and lots of love!

Moira

xoxo