Abide With Me

John 15:4 (NKJV) —

‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.’

The original Greek translation of ‘abide’ is meínete: the act of consistently staying in a given place, state, relation or expectancy. I for one am not always very good at staying consistent. I wake up at a different time every day, I go through phases of liking a certain hobby, then get frustrated and move on to a new one (I’m currently very into knitting..stay tuned), I get distracted, and always seem to be moving and this can bleed into my spiritual life too - I hope I’m not the only one. 

Thankfully, God does not have the same problem. God is an expert at abiding. He is steadfast, never-changing, always present, and his love and grace are always consistent. 

This truth is often specifically evident when challenges and suffering come our way. Henry Francis Lyte must have been all too aware of this when he wrote these words in 1847: ‘Abide with me: fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.’ These words poignantly point to God’s faithfulness in standing with us in every moment of our lives whether that be in ‘darkness’ or when we feel ‘hopeless’ or when the metaphorical shadows of ‘eventide’ draw in. It’s no wonder, therefore, that the most popular setting for this particular hymn is at funerals where highs and lows often intertwine as people celebrate the joys of life while also mourning the inevitability of death. 

In John 15:4 we are called to abide in Jesus in the same way God abides in us - remaining steadfast and pursuing consistency and closeness in our daily walk with him whatever comes. I’m learning to slow down and abide more, perhaps you’d like to do the same. 

Google/Youtube Abide with Me. Simply spend some time abiding with God. Just sit with him, stay there a little longer than you usually would. Perhaps inhale on the word 'Abide' ....and exhale... 'with me'.