Truly Abiding

WOW, God has really been going to town on me lately. I know it has been almost 2 months since my last post. For that I am sorry sorta. :o) The reason I say sorta is the fact that I have literally felt like God has taken a plow to every area of my life. Requiring me to simply give up everything for Him. Which shouldn't be a surprise but I guess it is. I feel like I have truly been walking in the wilderness searching for God's promises. Waiting on Him to reveal what He wants to rid me of. It has been very difficult and I will be the first to admit I am not completely finished with what He's doing in me. He has truly been speaking to me the importance of KNOWING HIM and not simply just knowing about Him. How when I claim to be a believer and profess faith in Him my day to day life better reflect what I'm speaking. I had a very interesting revelation that completely messed me up. I realized that someone cannot come face to face with God, or experience them in their lives and not be changed. To walk away unchanged would mean you didn't see or experience God because EVERYONE who encounters God is changed in some way! I had to think upon my life, and really ponder whether I had changed. Yeah of course there are some areas but what about those other areas that seem to still creep up on me and draw me away from God. Those strings that are attached to me that come in times where I begin to doubt all i know about God. I have been challenged to cut off and run from all things that hinder my relationship with God. It is difficult. To purge myself of all things that draw me away from God and cause me to sin. However it is what each one of us is called to do in our lives. Jesus talks about this is JOHN 15:5 "YES, I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. THOSE WHO REMAIN IN ME, AND I IN THEM, WILL PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING." I encourage you to read this passage John 15:1-12. It talks about how God prunes the branches that produce bad fruit. I do NOT want to be that branch. I want to know that what I am doing matters. That I am pleasing God in all I do. That I can confidently say I am abiding in Jesus. I want to remain in Him and Him in me. To produce Kingdom Fruit. It clearly states that apart from Him I can do nothing. That no matter what I put my hand to, or mind to it doesn't matter. It amounts to completely nothing without Jesus being involved in it. That is a wake up call for me no doubt! I have really been searching my heart and all I do to see where I am abiding and where I'm not. It is something that God has been slowly revealing in these past few weeks. Am I perfect and abide with Him all the time.....Absolutely not. However I do my best and I am sacrificing myself daily to do His will. That is the best I can do. I have a choice daily, moment by moment to either choose to honor God or to ignore Him and sin. It is a conscience decision and I alone make it. So I am able to choose what type of fruit I will produce in each choice that I make.

I challenge you to pray and ask God to reveal areas that you are and are not abiding in Him. Ask Him to lead you to those areas that are a struggle for you. That you would be able to surrender to God and allow Him control in those areas. Don't allow yourself to produce bad fruit. Seek to honor God in all you. Bring a smile to your Heavenly Fathers face today!