how many times are we faced with a situation and we don't know what to say?
someone confesses that they are having an affair on their spouse.
someone tells you that they are stealing from the cash register at work.
someone tells you I want to kill myself.
why don't we know what to say in these situations?
or is our response a gut level reaction stating the obvious?
or are we abiding in the vine so that even our responses are linked to the keeper of the vine?
John 16 tells us that "apart from Me you can accomplish nothing"
the thing about nothing, is its nothing.
nada.
no thing
not a thing.
not a job.
not an activity.
not even a response.
wait.
not a response.
if we can do no thing, nothing, not a thing without him, then even how we respond apart from him is incorrect.
ouch.
if you can't say amen, sometimes you have to say ouch.
how many times have a responded in my flesh. thinking it was God. but knowing, that is probably not the way God would respond.
this is my point and my passion.
I am a branch.
we have to stay abiding in the vine (Jesus) to accomplish anything, even a response to a situation.
how do we abide?
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
could this be the key, the clue to abiding.
its not just sitting there saying or singing 'abiding in the vine'
it's an action.
the word has to dwell in us, so that we do not sin against Him.
the word has to abide in me.
how does the word abide in me?
by reading it.
by meditating on it.
by consuming it.
study it.
when the word abides in us, we will know what His response is, and what my response is.
we can even pray the word.
Jeremiah 1:9 says: then God reached out and touched my mouth and He gave me His divine message. Look I have placed my words in you. You will know what to say now, for you will be my voice.
you can start with that.
pray that verse,
God, reach out and touch my mouth to speak your words, place your words in my mouth and I will be your voice.
do you see that?
that is abiding.
that is the word of God richly dwelling in you.
it's a promise from God.
and as I pray, I have a response to the situations I am faced with.
Is your boss treating your like dirt?
God, I bless those that persecute me
I bless my boss.
2 Thessalonians 2 - may our Lord and God our Father who has loved you, comfort your heart and establish or strength your will to accomplish every good work.
notice it doesn't say He will get you out of the situation , but strength you though it.
so when your friends, family and coworkers come to you, let your response be from that place of abiding in the word.
what do I say?
I say what He is saying
His word is still speaking the answers.
abide in me and my words will abide in you
this is what I say.
