Abide in Me

Next month, I will enter one of the busiest, demanding seasons of my life. With this in mind, I set time aside over the past week to spiritually prepare for the journey ahead. Why spiritually? Well knowing my human limitations and what this season will require of me, I’m aware that I will not thrive in this season without God’s grace, strength, and power at work through me (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

During my time of prayer and fasting, God led me to John 15 and told me to meditate on this passage throughout the week, particularly the first half the passage where Jesus teaches about the vine and the branches. Each time I read the passage, the following verses stood out to me.

(4) 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. (5) 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.”

These verses reminded me of my great need for God and the importance of abiding, or remaining, in Him. As I continued to mediate on these verses, God gave me another illustration. I was reminded of objects that require electricity to operate and the value they create when plugged into a power outlet versus the value they fail to generate when unplugged. Much like these objects, I realized that if I fail to abide and disconnect from my power source, it will be impossible for me to thrive in this new season.

Through these illustrations, I learned a new aspect of abiding — which is to know God as my source and sustainer, trusting that He will provide everything I need and sustain me. Do you personally know God as your source and sustainer? Philippians 4:19 tells us that, “…God will meet all [our] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus,” and Psalm 37:17 promises that, “…the Lord [will] sustain the righteous.”

I’m not sure what you’re currently in need of, but I sense the Lord saying,

If you need strength, abide in Me.

If you need healing, abide in Me.

If you need forgiveness, abide in Me.

If you need direction, abide in Me.

If you need rest, abide in Me.

If you need love, abide in Me.

If you need wisdom, abide in Me.

If you need courage, abide in Me.

If you need provision, abide in Me.

If you need grace, abide in Me.

If you need peace, abide in Me.

If you need deliverance, abide in Me.

If you need joy, abide in Me.

If you need a friend, abide in Me.

If you need a father, abide in Me.

If you need a Savior, abide in Me.

Whatever we need, God can provide. However, it requires us to abide, acknowledging Him as our source and remaining connected to Him at all times, in all seasons, and in all areas of life. If you’re unsure of how to remain connected to Him, it starts with developing a relationship with Him and growing intimately with Him through prayer, worship, fasting, and studying His Word.

As I trust God to be my sustainer and source for everything I will need in this upcoming season, my prayer is that you will trust Him to do the very same for you in your current season and every day of the rest of your life.

Be encouraged,

Imanne