Daily Invitation
Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired from the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
He Is God
I am so thankful for this promise. It is like a step-by-step model for abiding. I often talk about the first part of this verse as a fundamental principle of worship. It may seem redundant, but it essentially says that our God is the God. When we know this in our souls, it amplifies our faith.
Fountain Of Life
And yet God is so good that he does not take advantage of his strength to oppress, but to lead us to life. He is the one who knows the truth and is uniquely holy and just to judge us according to our sinfulness, yet his desire for you is freedom, and he leverages the fear of the Lord to bring goodness and deliverance.
Believe In The Name
1 John 3:23 ESV says, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” John was there when Jesus taught them his new command to love one another. The significance of that command sunk in because John mentions it over and over in his writings.
Seeing The God Of Promise
But God’s hope is no concept. It is the real deal. The reason that we live. The most exciting story and the most captivating message ever told: the gospel.
Earnestly Seek
Take a moment and consider the degree to which you have been seeking the Lord lately. There is no intention to shame anyone here. We all have different life circumstances that get in the way of our pursuit of Jesus. Still, I want us to think about how we have been seeking God. Has it been passive or active? Are we complacent or intentional? Is seeking him a priority or an inconvenience?
God Leads Us
When we read a verse like Psalm 32:8, it can be easy to glance over it without much thought. It is a simple message about a good God, but have we stopped to consider if this verse also applies to us?
Cast Your Worries
Your worry is the doorway to experiencing the thing we needed all along—that he cares for you.
Stay Free
The gospel is the good news of freedom, but not just good news of a moment of freedom. Jesus wants ongoing, increasing, and eternal freedom.
Day By Day
God makes a promise that he takes care of the innocent and offers them an everlasting inheritance. The question then becomes, how do I enter into this relationship with God? How do I become innocent and step under his protection?
Only True God
The gospel is summed up in John 17:3 ESV, where Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” It is so simple, yet so profound. We have the invitation to know Jesus intimately and know God, the only true God.
God Saves
Our worship is punctuated by the fact that God, for all his divinity and splendor, looked down on people suffering and stuck in bondage and set them free. This is what God does, and we get to see him in this way today.
Give God Thanks
We all get stuck. We all miss out on a moment to praise, hear God’s voice, or be obedient. Not one of us will live a perfect life. We all need the blood of Jesus to cover over our failed track record. But my offer to you today is to practice entering and re-entering communion with God through thanksgiving.
Gift of God
Where would we be without the salvation of God? We have experienced the life of Jesus, if only a taste of it, and our eyes are opened to just how good he is and just how free we can be in him. Consider how painful it was to experience all the broken fruit that was produced after being a slave to sin. Consider how powerful and pure the fruit of the Spirit is in your life!
Trust & Rejoice
David sets a great example for us. He points out the trials around him. He is gut-level honest about the headspace he is in and how he is feeling about the things he is facing. God is okay with our honesty. He can handle our questions and confusion, and he is big enough to face our frustrations or grief.
Satisfied With Goodness
We are chosen and brought near. While we do not enter the physical courts of the temple, we enter into a spiritual throne room. In this place of worship, we are satisfied with the goodness of his house and the holiness of his temple.
Think On These
It is much harder to justify our negative or sinful thoughts when we have to consider if it is true, honorable, just, or pure. Notice how Paul does not say to think about things that are just good? In the moment, things seem good. Being judgmental or critical seems good, but is that excellent or praiseworthy?
Reorienting Our Desire
As we walk with God, he makes us more like him—more holy. Even the holiest of saints can get interrupted at times. Things happen in life that rock our world. Temptations creep up unexpectedly that we have to overcome. We may discover one day that there is yet another layer of the onion being peeled back, and there is more to surrender.
The Strength Of My Heart
Remember that the point of this is not to have it all figured out. The objective is to get the word rooted in our hearts. Whatever we do, it has the power to more closely align our hearts with the promise of God over our hearts.
There Is Freedom
Today’s invitation is to meditate on the hope of this message. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, you can look at a verse like this and hold on to the words, “there is freedom.”