Daily Archive

But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! John‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬

Remaining in Jesus is easy when times are good. When the checkbook balances, when the kids are excelling in good things, when your relationships are strong at home, and at work, when you finish your to do list every single day, it’s easy to remain in Jesus.

During those times, you may thank Him for all of His blessings. You may remember all of his promises and bask in his grace. You may even have the courage to testify to his greatness at church!

But what about those other times? Those times, and every road seems to be a dead end.

Those times when you struggle and strive to make things right and yet nothing seems to work.

Those times when the work that you have to do ahead of you seems overwhelming and you wonder how anything will ever get done.

Those times when you don’t even meet your own expectations, much less the expectations of others.

The gospels are full of people facing hopeless situation’s.

The dad, who’s a little boy would have seizures and throw himself into the fire or water.

The mom who followed the funeral procession out of town for her only son.

The woman humiliated because she was caught in the act of adultery.

The woman whose life was a mess, and after five divorces was living with a man who didn’t even value her enough to marry her?

Jesus makes a statement a couple of times in the gospels about the fact that we can have whatever we hope to have or accomplish. It’s a pretty amazing promise! And it’s one that has caused many to abandon the faith. They asked, and they didn’t receive so they decided the promise was invalid.

But the key to ‘getting what we want’ is being so close to Jesus that we want the same things he wants.

Fame is temporary. Possessions can be lost. Relationships can crumble. Good health that can be taken from you in an instant. Those who thought you could count on, can stab you in the back or throw you under the bus.

Abiding in Jesus is more than attending church on Sunday. It’s more than Bible study. It’s more than prayer. All of those things are good, but abiding in Jesus is more about growing in relationship with Him. When that happens, you find your needs are met more often because your desires have changed.

Lord Jesus, help us to learn what it really means to abide in you. To draw so close to you so that your very thoughts become our thoughts, your desires become our desires, and your ways become our ways.