THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
John 15:9-10 ESV
ABIDING IS LOVING
A woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, “My dearest, you have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. You know what?” “What dear?” she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth. He said, “I think you’re bad luck.”
Part of being in love is being present. It is Jesus’ desire that we experience the same love that God the Father has for God the Son. This love comes from abiding in His presence. Nine times in this chapter Jesus talked about love.
John 15 was in the final hours of Jesus life before the cross. Soon Peter would deny Him and Thomas would doubt Him. And Jesus wanted them to know how loved they were. Albert Einstein once commented, “It is strange to be known so universally, and yet to be so lonely.” In your loneliest moments and darkest days, Jesus wants you to experience the depth of His love. The more we abide the more we experience His love and the more we share His love with others. Ask God to allow you to experience His love in a tangible way today. Ask God to show you someone who needs to experience His love through you today.
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8
