So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning.
If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.
1 John 2:24
Jesus, I know You are with me.
Help me focus on Your presence in my heart, soul, and mind.
For a lot of people, it’s helpful to think about our relationship with God in two ways.
First, once we say our big yes to Jesus, we are born into God’s kingdom. (“Born again,” to use Jesus’ words.) The relationship that begins at that moment is an eternal relationship that doesn’t go away, in the same way that your siblings will always be your siblings, no matter what.
Second, our intimacy with God is nurtured by a whole bunch of little, everyday yeses as we continue abiding in Him.
The way we trust and obey God shapes the way we sense our closeness with God, in the same way that we feel close or distant from our siblings by how much we talk or text or spend time with them.
God never moves away from us, but we can feel closer or more distant by abiding or not abiding in Him. Choose to abide by trusting and obeying God, and your closeness with God will be a deep comfort no matter what’s going on in life.
REFLECT:
What are some things that make you feel closer to or more distant from God? How can you make daily abiding a priority in your life?
RESPOND:
Thank God for the wisdom of the things He’s taught you. Ask Him to help you continue to trust and obey His words as you abide in Him.