Good Morning! My name is Jane Barrick and I was asked to give a devotional thought from the book of 1 John chapters 1-3.
KEY VERSE:
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and also its lust; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 3:24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
REFLECTIONS:
I am continually blessed by church hymns written by God’s saints. They are filled with scriptural truths. He abides, He abides, Hallelujah He abides with me…(Herbert Buffum) Chapters 1-3 are filled with basic truths and wisdom. I could linger here for weeks, but as I read the scriptures there was one word that continued to jump off the page, “abides.” The dictionary states that “to abide” is to wait for, to endure without yielding, to stand with, to bear patiently, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed in a state, and to continue in a place. We abide in Him, He abides in us. This world will pass but God abides forever! Wow, what a promise to stand on! What a firm foundation God has provided for His children. I was impressed to pay attention to the fact that the message states, God abides and we also must abide. I was reminded of the words of a retired Pastor who instructed me to think of my relationship with God as a contract. Each party makes a promise to fulfill their given responsibility. We fulfill our part; God fulfills His part. This is the ultimate “win, win” situation. These verses reinforce God’s love for me. He not only saves my soul and prepares a place in Heaven for me, but He sustains my walk while living in this world.
APPLICATION:
The outcome: Abiding in Christ and growing in Grace. The darkness decreases as the light increases. He abides, He abides, Hallelujah He abides with me! “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” 1 John 2:6.
Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Jane
NAME: Jane C. Barrick
SAVED: age 10
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: David
FAMILY: Spouse: Bill, Sons: Matt, Henry (wife Amber), Wilbur, and Steve in Heaven
OCCUPATION: Author, Poet, Life Coach, retired Health Care Professional
HOBBIES: Writing, singing, collecting basic truths and words of wisdom
AREAS OF MINISTRY: Encouragement, singing, teaching
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: Isaiah