Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4 NKJV)
I carefully stepped down from the podium. The joy I usually felt when speaking had vanished. Then I realized why: the anointing was gone!
It didn’t take long before God put His finger on the problem. I had withdrawn from Him when He didn’t send immediate relief to my suffering.
I still prayed and studied my Bible daily, but I felt jaded. I had quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit. Somewhere along the journey, I stopped abiding in Christ.
The word abide means to remain, dwell, and to linger. If I call a friend, we may linger on the line as we each excitedly declare, “Let me tell you this before you go.”
If I call to make a doctor’s appointment, I don’t tell the receptionist what I did today. I’m lingering in conversation with my friend, not the receptionist. I share everything with my friend, not the receptionist. My friend wants to hear my news, not the receptionist.
Jesus Christ is like that friend. He wants us to linger in prayer with Him. He wants us to send up multiple prayers throughout the day just to give Him thanks.
This year begins with lots of excitement. I will be attending Guiding Eyes for the Blind to bring home another guide dog, since Iva is retiring. As I get busy at school and caring for two dogs at home, I need to remember to always abide in Christ. Otherwise, I miss out on that special bond that a prayer-a-day cannot create.
I’d love to hear about your special word or verse for 2025. I encourage you to abide in the vine. If life has become hard and God seems distant, please know that He never abandons us. We don’t always like His timing or the way He answers our prayers, but His ways are perfect, and yes, they do work together for good (Rom. 8:28).
In all my pain after my spine surgery, I never dreamed I’d attend guide dog school again but look at what God can do! I regret faithlessness during my recovery, but God remained faithful. You may find yourself in a difficult season today. Please don’t withdraw from God! He loves you, and He has a plan, including the hard stuff. Hang on, friend!
Let’s commit to keep our eyes on Jesus and abide in Him, through the bad and the good. Spend some extra time in prayer. Talk to Him often. Whisper praises to Him throughout your day. Blessing comes while abiding.
Oh you hit the bull’s eye with the word abiding. Remaining grafted into Jesus vine despite life circumstances. If Satan can get our eyes off of Jesus and onto our suffering, pain, injustice, etc. than we begin to break off from that vine. We lose our anointing and like you said, we grieve the Holy Spirit.
Below is a story of how Satan succeeded in completely severing a branch of the vine.
Many years ago, I had a friend who was a paraplegic who had been praying for God to heal her. She attended a very charismatic church who believed in miraculous healings, to the degree of it being a huge name it and claim it theology coupled with the teaching that healing is not happening because of sin or lack of faith etc. In 6 short months she was dead. Yes dead. She committed suicide because she believed that she lacked enough faith to be healed so that meant God refused to heal her on Earth. That church twisted Gods word on healing, and it angers me that it is still happening today.
I attend a church that believes in healing, prays for people to be healed but never inserts any notion of those fear tactics my friend was exposed to. I believe in a sovereign God who chooses who He will heal on Earth and who will be healed in heaven. I believe in a God who uses our pain and suffering to minister to others so they can either meet Jesus for the first time or grow in the Lord by watching the Joy that comes only from Jesus despite our circumstances.
Great word of Abide my friend!
Amen. That is such a sad story, but it is true and many places.
Amen such a sad story but true
Thank you for your beautiful post. But, also teddybeargirl48 for her comment. God Bless.
My pleasure, and yes, that is some marvelous insight from Teddy Bear girl