As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9 (NKJV)
John 15:4-5 says “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” This is an amazing picture of community and ‘togetherness’. To ‘abide' means “to remain; continue; stay; dwell; reside…” It's the essence of relationship. You can’t have a relationship with someone – any kind of relationship – without transactions or transfers taking place between those involved – transactions of conversation, joy, heartache, give, take, acts of service and kindness, fun, hilarity – the ebb and flow of giving into a relationship, and than receiving from it also. God doesn’t live above us having a vertical connection to us… He wants to be involved, entwined, connected, attached, enveloped in us and us in Him – a relationship. There’s responsibility on both parties here – God says if you remain in Him – remain; stay, dwell, reside, abide; He will remain in you – take up residence in your heart and make His home with you. He’s not a distant observant God, but an up-close, involved, personal Saviour. It's safe for you to remain in Him – abide in His love.
Go out of your way every day to make transfers and transactions with the love of God through worship, prayer and devotion. Make your home, not in the success of this world, accolade from others, your own ego and sense of right and wrong, but in Jesus and His love. Make that your home, your starting point, the place where you give into and receive from – the home you LIVE in. God is not afraid of what He will see or hear from your life, He is ready to take it all in with you and cause you to ‘produce much fruit’ – fulfil your ‘God Given' purpose and destiny. Take some moments today to ‘abide’ in His love…
