Abiding in His Love
John 15:7-8
“If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. This is how my father is glorified– in your bearing much fruit.”
God wants us to have a continual abiding relationship with Him. He wants us to be united with Him in our heart, thoughts, and actions. By this abiding relationship, we have at our disposal His kingdom, His authority, and His power.
Galatians 5:5-6
“For it is by the power of the Spirit, who works in us because we trust and are faithful, that we confidently expect our hope of attaining righteousness to be fulfilled. When we are united with the Messiah, neither being circumcised or being uncircumcised matters; what matters is trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love.”
Abiding in God is a love relationship. God is love. The way to respond to Him is in love. As we respond to His love drawing us, He draws us even nearer. And, we are invited to move deeper and closer.
AW Tozer says, “Being made in His image we have within us the capacity to know Him. In our sins we only lack the power. The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition... To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love.” “The Pursuit of God”
Psalm 42:1-2
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
“This is deep calling unto deep, the longing heart will understand it. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him. God places the impulse within us to pursue Him and follow hard after Him. Our part must be a reciprocation of this secret drawing of God.” A.W. Tozer, “The Pursuit of God”
When I was a new Christian, I was excited about everything I was learning about God. But, somewhere in my heart, I thought God was this very big person that was outside of our world looking down from above and disapproving of all our sin.
Then one day, as I was spending time with Him in my prayer room, He gave me a vision that changed the way I saw Him. He showed me the earth, the universe, sun, stars, babies, colors, and even the grass; At that moment, I knew that He created everything and was actively aware and involved on every level with His creation– from every blade of grass that springs up to every baby that is born. I began to have a revelation of His incredible magnitude. I understood that He stands outside of time. I saw what seemed to be an infinite amount of people from time beginning to time ending. He created each one and knew everything about them all.
I suddenly realized how small and insignificant I am compared to the universe and the magnitude of people. I felt so disheartened and with tears in my eyes I asked Him, “God, where do I belong? Why would you even bother with me? I am not even a spec of dust in a moment of time.” He said, “Twila, you belong at the center of my heart.” At that moment, He became my Father and I knew I belonged to Him. I knew, even though I am insignificant in proportion to the universe, I am significant to Him.
That is His place for all of us, at the center of His heart. It is His secret drawing to us. There is a drawing to the place we belong, a constant pulling inward, closer and closer to the center of His love –the center of His heart.
“If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. This is how my father is glorified– in your bearing much fruit.”
God wants us to have a continual abiding relationship with Him. He wants us to be united with Him in our heart, thoughts, and actions. By this abiding relationship, we have at our disposal His kingdom, His authority, and His power.
Galatians 5:5-6
“For it is by the power of the Spirit, who works in us because we trust and are faithful, that we confidently expect our hope of attaining righteousness to be fulfilled. When we are united with the Messiah, neither being circumcised or being uncircumcised matters; what matters is trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love.”
Abiding in God is a love relationship. God is love. The way to respond to Him is in love. As we respond to His love drawing us, He draws us even nearer. And, we are invited to move deeper and closer.
AW Tozer says, “Being made in His image we have within us the capacity to know Him. In our sins we only lack the power. The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition... To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love.” “The Pursuit of God”
Psalm 42:1-2
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
“This is deep calling unto deep, the longing heart will understand it. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him. God places the impulse within us to pursue Him and follow hard after Him. Our part must be a reciprocation of this secret drawing of God.” A.W. Tozer, “The Pursuit of God”
When I was a new Christian, I was excited about everything I was learning about God. But, somewhere in my heart, I thought God was this very big person that was outside of our world looking down from above and disapproving of all our sin.
Then one day, as I was spending time with Him in my prayer room, He gave me a vision that changed the way I saw Him. He showed me the earth, the universe, sun, stars, babies, colors, and even the grass; At that moment, I knew that He created everything and was actively aware and involved on every level with His creation– from every blade of grass that springs up to every baby that is born. I began to have a revelation of His incredible magnitude. I understood that He stands outside of time. I saw what seemed to be an infinite amount of people from time beginning to time ending. He created each one and knew everything about them all.
I suddenly realized how small and insignificant I am compared to the universe and the magnitude of people. I felt so disheartened and with tears in my eyes I asked Him, “God, where do I belong? Why would you even bother with me? I am not even a spec of dust in a moment of time.” He said, “Twila, you belong at the center of my heart.” At that moment, He became my Father and I knew I belonged to Him. I knew, even though I am insignificant in proportion to the universe, I am significant to Him.
That is His place for all of us, at the center of His heart. It is His secret drawing to us. There is a drawing to the place we belong, a constant pulling inward, closer and closer to the center of His love –the center of His heart.
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