ABIDE. This five letter word has been a running theme in our lives since before Seth and I were married. As most running themes do, it has left it's shimmering trail on our hearts through every major decision we have made. The first revelation of "abiding" came six months after we were married. We were spending the summer in Lake City working for David and Rosie at the Inn at the Lake (little did we know this town would be a much bigger part of our future). Our goal for that summer was to pray together to seek out what the Lord's will was for the next phase of our lives. One evening, we were having our devotional time together and we came across the Oswald Chamber's chapter for the day- June 14th. Here is an excerpt:
"Abide in Me..." John 15:4
"Our Lord's inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father's plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord's life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is 'hidden with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:3) ..."Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future."
Wow! After reading that chapter several times out loud, we came to the conclusion that God's ultimate will for us isn't found in a certain place, job, degree, or relationship. His utmost desire and calling on our life is to ABIDE IN HIM. How freeing that concept is! As humans we love to complicate our lives and then we whine about how complicated our lives are. God's original design for mankind was to live naked and carefree in a perfect garden with all the time in the world to spend with Him. Since the fall, we have a bit more on our plate to do just to survive, but His plan for our lives still remains. "The chief end of man is to know God and make Him known." How can we possibly know Him without spending time with Him? We trick ourselves into believing that if only we can do something for God, memorize enough verses, go to enough potlucks, serve on enough committees, share the gospel with enough people... we can be in right standing with Him and therefore figure out the higher purpose of our lives. All of these things are good things, but if they become ultimate and begin to take the place of our relationship with our Father they take His place and can become idols.
In Matthew 11:28-30 our Lord said "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I praise the Lord for His competence. All the work that needs to be done for my salvation and eternal rest has already been done, through the blood of Jesus Christ. All I must do is accept it and abide.
