Based on “Pray this Prayer for Me – Part 3” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 6/19-20/10,
Message #6051; Daily Devotional #7 - “Abide in Him”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Remember as a child how, if you spent a lot of time with a certain friend, you would begin to take on some of their characteristics? Usually it was some little nuance like a phrase, or the way someone walked, or activities they did. As a father, I find it interesting how easy it is to notice when one of my children pick up something from someone they interact with. Most of us have had that one friend that our parents thought was a bad influence and did not want us to be around. They knew that the more we spent time with them, the more of their attributes we took on. On the contrary, by “hanging out” with Jesus, we can begin to be shaped and take on His attributes that will make us better suited to fulfill His purpose for us.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Abiding in Jesus starts with the realization that we are totally dependent on Him the way branches of a vine are dependent on the vine itself. This week’s teaching covered John 15 where Jesus provides the illustration. The keys to remember are that the branch is nothing without the vine. The branch depends on the vine for everything. The vine does the work of providing the nourishment to the branch where the branch enjoys the fruits provided through it. This describes the Christ follower’s goal perfectly. We are to be instruments of providing God’s blessings. By spending time with Jesus in the Word of God, we can learn how to submit ourselves to His purpose. Abiding in Jesus requires the absolute surrender of our will to his. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): We must allow our Father in heaven to direct us away from relationships that take us further from Him. It is difficult to discern when we are helping someone we care about move in the right direction rather than them causing us to move in the wrong direction. The Holy Spirit will guide us as long as we make His voice the priority and not our personal desires. Personally, I felt the Holy Spirit’s conviction when doing things that were fun at one time in my life but are not in line with God’s purpose for me. Much the way we learn to discern how to spend our time, we also have to discern who we spend our time with—are they leading us to or away from God?
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Galatians 2; Romans 10
WSK
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.