Day 15 | January 20 | John 15 & Psalm 63

Abide in Me, By Pastor Steve Wells

Scripture: John 15:4-11 (ESV)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me… for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Intuitively, this verse makes total sense to us! Jesus’ words are easy to understand. And I am convinced that all believers read these verses (15:4-11) and immediately want everything Jesus is offering us—fruitfull, answered prayer, deep joy, and the assurance of His love. But somehow, for many of us, this call to daily abiding is intermittent at best.

But why? Why do we get this right some days and not others?
Let’s begin by asking another question.

What does it mean to truly “abide”? Other translations use the phrase “remain in me,” and I believe those words can offer us some help. To “remain” implies that we stay close, that we don’t wander off, that we keep near and don’t move away from the source of our life – which is Christ Jesus.

Yet we often fail to remain close because of our distracted and wandering hearts. We get pulled in a hundred directions—notifications, worries, plans, pleasures—and before we know it, we’ve drifted.

Even more subtly, we don’t abide consistently because we are selective about when we feel we need to abide. Let’s be honest: there are areas of life we believe are under our control—our daily routines, work tasks, relationships, spending, conversations—and in those moments we quietly think to ourselves, “I’ve got this.” Then, when we face something that feels beyond our control—illness, crisis, big decisions—we run back to God for help. In essence, we decide to abide only when we sense a great need for His help, and we go it alone when we feel self-sufficient in our daily routine.

And lastly we struggle to abide because somewhere along the way we confused abiding with our the time we spend in prayer in the morning. It’s important to remember yes, abiding is a part of our morning prayer time with the Father, but abiding should not end when our morning prayer ends and our work day begins. True Abiding happens all day long.

Jesus wasn’t offering us partial connection. (Partial Abiding = Partial Connection) He said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” And while we have learned through experience that we can do some things on our own, the fruit that Jesus is speaking about is eternal. Apart from Him- you and I will not bear eternal fruit and our lives will lack joy and we will not see Him answer prayer in a way that demonstrates the power and authority of God working in our lives.

The Solution: Pre-Decide to Daily Abide (all day, everyday).
Make it a predetermined decision—before each day begins—to abide (remain) in Him. Start each morning by staying close, drawing near, remaining connected to the vine because you believe that you need Him for everything and in all things.

Think About it:
What would this week/month look like if you lived as though Jesus’ words were 100% true—that apart from Him you truly can do nothing of lasting/eternal value?

Imagine beginning each day surrendered, dependent, connected to Christ in the small things and the big things alike. Now imagine remaining in the heart of abiding throughout the day – for every single decision and choice you face. . What if that was the path for you to find the real fruitfulness and joy He promised in John 15. Read Psalm 63 and notice how King David understood the importance of daily & continual abiding with God. Notice how he sought after God day and night – like he was looking was water in the desert! Oh may we have a heart like King David to do the same.

Prayer:
Father, I confess that too often I wander, I drift, and I live independently, convinced I can handle much of life on my own. Forgive me for my distracted heart and my selective dependence. Today I pre-decide to abide in You—to remain close, to stay near, to draw my life from Christ alone. Guard my heart from distraction, wandering, pride, and the illusion of control. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I bear much fruit, so that I may prove to be Your true disciple, and experience the full joy that Jesus promised. I commit myself anew – to abide in you – daily.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.