Abide in My Love

John 15:9-11
:7 If you abide in me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
:9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love ; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
:11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
1 John 4:16
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.

Abide in the Greek…3306..meno

Abide has the idea to remain, to continue to be present; to be held, kept, continually; to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure.
In reference to state or condition---to remain as one, not to become another or different

This last meaning stands out in the sense that to abide in Christ makes me think of the believer's union with Him. We stay put in Him, in His love. We do not become something different than what He has created us to be. We are not different when circumstances become difficult, or the world has a negative opinion of us because of believing in Him, or mocks us, or ignores us or excludes us, or makes us  to feel put down in some way. Our feelings do not dominate us because the place where we dwell and abide is the most REAL place, the safest place we could ever be…in Christ who is in the Father; in their unfathomable, never-ending, deep love (John 17:26; 1 John 4:16). He keeps us there, His love envelopes us and constantly reassures us that we are extremely unique and important to Him.

Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another to Him who was raised from the dead, that you might bear fruit for God.

Thus being in union with our Risen Lord, which enables us to abide in Him, produces His perfect love flowing to the world we live in, it produces answers to prayers, fruit bearing (John 15:16), and a joy that is full.  Most importantly though the Father is glorified in the Son in whom we are abiding.

Thank You my wonderful Father, for loving us so much as to teach us to simply abide in You.