Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Conclusion of the Gratitude Challenge for 2022
If you have been reading my posts this fall, then you are likely aware of the gratitude challenge. It wasn’t the main focus of my posts, but I did mention it at the end of each post as a reminder.
Since I was encouraging you to continue through December 31, I am stopping by today to check in. But don’t let this stop you from continuing for as long as you like!
As we flip our calendars from one year to the next, this is a perfect time for us to reflect on gratitude. When we look back at the year that has gone by, we might see some struggles we encountered. But if we dig a bit, we can also find ways that God has helped us, been there for us, and provided for us.
Each year is like that. In fact, some days are like that too. On this earth, will walk through a mixture of trials and blessings. However, when we are intentional to practice gratitude, this helps us to focus on the good and keep our eyes on Jesus. Even though we face difficulties, gratitude helps us to see that the Lord has been beside us every step of the way. And this brings a peace that surpasses understanding.
Okay I know some of you are thinking about how difficult life can be, and finding peace seems impossible. I get it. Life can be really hard. In fact, I said something along those lines in prayer earlier this week. But while some days it is difficult to look for the good, there is always something good to be found. Each day has beauty in it. Sometimes it is easy to find. Other times we have to be intentional and look for it.
And I have found that when we are intentional about looking for the good in our lives, and giving God thanks for the blessings, it can change our hearts. And when we have a changed heart, this helps alter so many other areas of our lives. We have the opportunity to walk in joy, instead of bitterness. We are more apt to mold lasting relationships, instead of breaking them down with resentment. We can walk in love, instead of hate.
It’s true – all of this seems backwards from the world we live in. But we are not of this world. We are set apart. And while gratitude will not change our circumstances, it will change our outlook. And our outlook affects more than we realize.
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” – Charles Spurgeon
Therefore, I hope that we all continue to embrace gratitude as we step into the new year. Gratitude draws us closer to God and brings joy into our lives. When we walk in gratitude, we are walking in God’s will. And when our gratitude is part of our walk with God, it helps us to praise and worship Him, because we are thanking Him for all of the blessings in our lives.
I have found that praise and gratitude go hand-in-hand because our praise increases our gratitude and our gratitude increases our praise. And they both lift our spirits!
Dr. Charles Stanley said, “If it’s not already your practice, praise God throughout the day. Exalt Him when you wake up, when you eat, when you leave the house and when you return. An attitude of adoring trust in the Lord will make an amazing difference in your life.”
I hope this gratitude challenge has helped you to find a deeper trust in God. Because when we continually keep our eyes open for the blessings in our lives, we will see how God truly is working all things together for good.
If you participated in the gratitude challenge, let me know how it went.
I pray you have a safe and Happy New Year and a blessed 2023!
“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” – Psalm 92:1-2
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
Merry Christmas!
Hello, my friends! I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry CHRISTmas! Today is a special day for us as Christians, and for the world, as we remember a little baby born over two thousand years ago. The Son of God came to earth, in the form of a vulnerable infant. Emmanuel – God with us. He would grow up and ultimately die for our sins. He would pay the price we could never pay. The Prince of Peace would bring peace, hope, joy, and love to the world. May we celebrate all that Jesus means and all that He has done. I pray you and your families have a blessed day.
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! – Luke 2:14
A Year of Abiding
As you may know, my one word for 2022 is abide. I love the beauty of this word, especially in relation to abiding in Jesus. Here are some ways this word helped me to grow this year.
In January I read a book called Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray. This is a 31-day devotional, but it took me about 6 weeks to read due to the old language. (It was originally written in 1864, I believe.) But pressing through was worth it, as this book was very insightful.
Throughout the year, I read the gospels. I also studied other books of the Bible at times, but the gospels were my main focus for my daily reading. This helped me to keep my eyes on Jesus, and learn more about Him.
I memorized Jesus’ words found in John 15:4-5: “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. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” I would often recite this in my mind at night when I went to bed and was trying to fall asleep. When we memorize Scripture, we are tucking it away in our hearts. We are storing The Truth inside of us. Life can be difficult and we have a real enemy who is out to get us. But the Word of God is one of the weapons we can use to fight our battles and to remind us of how we are to face each day.
Something that I started last year, and continued this year, was to have a monthly check-in. When the month changed, I would take a look at my life to find areas where I was growing, and areas that needed improvement. This pertains to things like reading my Bible, prayer, what I was learning in my studies, my health, etc. This gave me twelve opportunities through the year to make adjustments.
This fall, on the blog, we studied what abiding in Jesus looks like, based on Scripture. I thoroughly enjoyed this study and I hope you did as well. We helped each other grow through those posts. As is often the case, your comments gave me more to reflect on. And I am reminded that “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
Ultimately, focusing on the word “Abide” has helped me to draw closer to the Lord. Each day I was reminded to lean into Jesus. Of course I am not perfect and still had moments where I stumbled. Life is like that. We will have potholes in the road. And that is okay. Those moments help us to learn, grow, and do better next time. But when we look back over the months and years, we should still see an overall improvement. And that is how 2022 was for me.
Abiding doesn’t end here. It is a lifelong journey with the Savior as we abide in Him, each and every day. That is how I often see a “one word” for the year. It might be something we put more focus on for 365 days. But the result should be that it changes us and molds us as we continue on our path. Therefore, although I will have a different word for 2023, I will continue abiding in Jesus as I step into each new day.
When we abide in Jesus, day by day, we find a deep sense of peace and contentment in our lives. We see that He is the center of our lives. We build a deeper relationship with Him. And He ultimately becomes our sustenance.
If you had a word for 2022, I would love to hear how it shaped your year.
Gratitude Challenge 2022
If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. Gratitude is one way of abiding in Jesus, as it draws us closer to Him.
Books to Add to Your Christmas List and A Giveaway
Hi Friends! I wanted to share some book fun with you. I have read many books this year, and I pulled out my favorites for you to add to your Christmas shopping list. These books weren’t necessarily published in 2022, they are just books I read this year (for the most part). These are all Christian books, as that is pretty much all I read. So no need to worry about content. I have them broken into several categories. I hope you find something that sounds interesting. And make sure you read to the end for information on a giveaway.
(Note: I do not receive any compensation through these links.)
For anyone looking for a good Christian Non-Fiction Read:
Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel. This book is so powerful. It contains vital information that every Christian needs. We all have battled lies from the enemy at one time or another. And for some of us, it’s a chronic issue. This book will help you take back your life and win the battle.
Abide in Christ: A 31-Day Devotional for Fellowship With Jesus by Andrew Murray. This book is truly a gem. There are many golden nuggets throughout, and I highlighted tons of passages that spoke to me. One thing to note – since Andrew Murray lived in another era, the language was dated. Personally, I had to read this book slowly to absorb what Murray was saying. Many sentences are very long, and one can get lost along the way from beginning to end. But if you put in the time and effort, you will be rewarded. Abiding in Christ is vital in our walk with Him. If we can grasp this one thing, day by day, our lives will be transformed.
For An Audience of One: Seek the Praise That Comes From God Alone by R.T. Kendall. I wrote a blog post on this book earlier this year. If you missed it, check it out here.
Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It’s Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind by Louie Giglio. Excellent book that will help you strengthen your faith, take every thought captive, and ultimately keep your eyes on Jesus, no matter what you are facing. I have highlighted so many exceptional lines throughout the book, as the content was overflowing with key truths. This is such an important topic for all Christians. Too often, we allow the enemy to invite himself to our table, our lives, and our minds. It is time to take a stand. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is there beside us. We need only to turn our focus to Him, and He will help us overcome this battle.
Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad by John Eldredge. This book is amazing. It is not like any other book I have read. In our fast-paced world, we are all moving at an unhealthy speed. We are burnt out and frazzled. This book will help you in two major ways. It will help you to intentionally find a slower pace. And it will help you to receive more of God in your life. Both of these, in turn, will help restore your soul. I highlighted many passages in this book, which isn’t abnormal for me. But in this case, I took it a step further and wrote down some key points from each chapter as well. I wanted to make sure I retained what I read, and put it into practice. I highly recommend this book. I can see myself coming back to it again.
When the Enemy Strikes: The Keys to Winning Your Spiritual Battles by Dr. Charles F. Stanley. A must read for every Christian. This book is phenomenal. Charles Stanley is my favorite pastor because he really knows his stuff. He always provides great insight and practical tips. This book is no exception. This book is so eye-opening and will help you see the ways the enemy has sneakily wormed his way into your life. But this book will also help you to stand strong against the devil’s tactics, as you cling to Jesus. I cannot say enough good things about this book.
For women. Often when it comes to Christian Non-Fiction, books by female authors are written for women:
Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer. (Note that this link goes to the imitation leather format of the book, because I really like that version. However, you can search for other formats if you prefer.) One of the best books you will read as a Christian. Seriously. This book will open your eyes and help you to see how so many struggles in your life have been coming from the enemy. This book will help you to formulate prayers to fight against the enemy’s tactics. You will walk away with a stronger faith, as you become the prayer warrior that you always wanted to be. I have this book in the leather edition, I have it in e-book, and I have the audio book. And I went through it several times in the various formats. Priscilla shares stories, Scriptures, and inspiring words to help you in your faith walk. She is not wordy at all. But she does have a gift with words that will make you think about things from new angles. She is to the point and spot on. The audio version is wonderful because Priscilla narrates itself. She is a gifted speaker and very encouraging. I feel that it would benefit us to read / listen to this book on a regular basis. I cannot say enough about this book. I highly recommend it. Get it. You won’t regret it.
Fighting Words Devotional: 100 Days of Speaking Truth into the Darkness by Ellie Holcomb. I absolutely love this book. Each day brings a powerful Scripture verse, an encouraging devotional from the the author, reflection questions, and a prayer. Each passage has made me think deeper, as I sit quietly with the Lord. Ellie has a beautiful gift with words. In so many of the passages, she was able to articulate exactly how I was feeling. She filled each entry with truth and insight. Each day, I walked away feeling encouraged and hopeful. There is usually enough room to write in the book under each day’s entry, if you wish. And that is what I did. I wrote my own prayer each day, as I reflected on God’s Word and the hope I found. I highly recommend this book.
Sanctuary: Cultivating a Quiet Heart in a Noisy and Demanding World by Denise Hughes. This book was just published earlier this month, but I was honored to be a part of the launch team. This book was a much needed respite. We live in a fast-paced world, with a lot of “noise” everywhere we go. These days, much of our noise comes from our devices. Being constantly connected deflates us, pulls us away from the people around us, causes us to miss out on our own lives, and affects our relationship with God as well. This book helps us to lay aside the distractions, find unique ways to restore our souls, build the relationships with the loved ones in our lives, and have a closer walk with God. This book is a treasure.
The 40-Day Feast: Taste and See the Goodness of God’s Word by Wendy Speake. This book will not be published until January. However, I am on the launch team, so I had a sneak peek. This is a 40-day devotional all about the Word of God. This book helps us to get an appetite for the Bible, savor each bite, and apply biblical truths to our daily lives. Whether you read your Bible daily or not, this book will have golden nuggets for you to enjoy. I have read each of Wendy’s 40-day devotional books and I have found each one to be rich with insight and encouragement.
For Advent. The books in this group I didn’t necessarily read this year. But I felt it would be appropriate to share my favorite Advent devotionals in case you are looking for a rich December read:
Waiting Here For You: An Advent Journey of Hope by Louie Giglio. I loved this Advent devotional. Each day’s reading was short, so you could squeeze it into a busy schedule. Yet, each day also held so much meaning and impact.
The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp. This book was so rich as it walks through the genealogy of Jesus and helps the reader to savor the Savior.
Prepare Him Room: A Daily Advent Devotional by Susie Larson. I’m currently in the midst of reading this book, so I can’t give my full thoughts yet. But I can say that I am deeply enjoying it so far.
If you’re looking for a unique Bible:
Illustrating Bible NIV: The Gospels. I love this Bible. It contains only the four gospels, in NIV translation. There is plenty of space on the side of each page to write or draw or whatever your creative side wants to do. It is spiral bound, which means no awkward issues when trying to write (as you find in regular paperback type books). If you want to spend time with Jesus, this would be a perfect place to start. Of course this is not my main Bible, since it only contains the Gospels. But I really enjoyed the time I spent in this Bible as I sat at Jesus’ feet.
For Lent:
Uncovering the Love of Jesus: A Lent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu. This is the best Lent devotional that I have ever read. This book was divided out into 7 weeks, intending to take the reader from Ash Wednesday through Resurrection Sunday (and beyond). Each passage talks about a different Biblical story from the Gospels. The author provides a lot of rich insight, amazing details, and helps the reader to read each of these stories with fresh eyes. At the end of each devotional passage, there is also a challenge, a prayer, and Bible verses for further reading. The author also provides activities for the weekend days. These are things that help you to focus on Lent and Easter and all that they mean. You can do them alone, or with your family. The devotions can be read at any time of year; they don’t have to be reserved for Lent. This book is absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend it enough. You will grow closer to Jesus and see His love for you from a new perspective.
Fiction:
All of the above sections were Christian Non-Fiction. But I also wanted to take a moment to recommend some fiction reads. Mainly the Holiday series by my friend Laurel Hawkes. Laurel has written a series of novellas, each set around a different holiday. These are each quick reads for those with a busy schedule. All of them are available in e-book format. But if you prefer paperback, that is an option as well, with several novellas printed together in one book. Here is a link to the first e-book in the series: Happy New Year? (Holiday, USA Book 1). And here is the link to the first paperback in the series, which contains the first four novellas: Holiday, USA Anthology 2014.
If you want some Christmas fiction reads, check out my friend Summer’s recent blog post – Christmas Reads 2022. Each December, Summer will write a post that outlines her favorite Christmas reads from the year.
And now for a giveaway!
As a way of spreading Christmas cheer, I am giving away copies of my first two books – Every Day is a Gift and You Are Redeemed. (For more info on my books, check out this page.) * I’m sorry but U.S. addresses only, and while supplies last.* If you would like a copy of your own, please send me your name and address via this form.
Thank you for your time! And thank you for being here! I am honored to walk this path with you! Let me know in the comments if you have any great book recommendations.
Abide Series Recap
If you have been following for the past couple of months, then you know that we recently went through a series regarding Abiding in Jesus. There are more Bible verses we could look at with the word abide in them. However, I felt the verses that we studied were the best in guiding us to grow in our Christian walk. I hope you enjoyed the series as much as I did.
Side note: I also enjoyed looking for different pictures of vineyards or grapevines to go with each post. They were all so beautiful to me. Grapevines always reminded me of my Hungarian great grandmother, as she had grapevines in her yard. But now I have new meaning to add to those memories. Grapevines and vineyards will now also remind me of the beauty we find when we abide in Jesus and His love.
Here is a short recap of some of the points we touched on in this series:
We have to be intentional about abiding in Jesus. We can do this by making our relationship with Him a priority. Day by day He will mold us to produce good fruit in our lives.
Not only are we to abide in Jesus, but we are also to abide in His love. We do this by keeping
His commandments. The greatest two commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And to love your neighbor as yourself. When we continue in His love, we will have joy in our lives. And He will continue to grow good fruit in us.
When we truly abide in Jesus, the love of God will abide in us. And His Word abides in our hearts, because we abide in His Word every day. We don’t merely go through the motions of religion. And we don’t try to impress those around us, as the religious leaders in Jesus’ day did. It is all about being in union with the One who loved you enough to die for you.
We have the Holy Spirit abiding in us. He is always with us. He is always there, ready to help us. I fear too often we do not tap into this priceless gift. We might not fully understand how much the Holy Spirit can do for us. Or we might simply forget that we are never alone. But He is there, and He will gladly help us in a myriad of ways.
When we truly abide in Jesus, we walk like He did. As we abide in Him daily, not only does He help mold our hearts to be more like Him, but we also want to be more like Jesus. When we read our Bibles, we learn about Him, and this helps us to follow in His footsteps. But again, there is a responsibility on our part. We have to show up. We have to pursue Him. When we do that, He will change us, day by day.
This week I heard a good sermon by Jentezen Franklin where he touched on wanting. He said, “Here’s how you know if you’re saved or not – you want it. You want to live for Jesus. You want to worship. You want to come to church. You want to be around Christians. You may have all kinds of issues, but you want it. If you just want it, that means life has filled you. The good news is you might be all messed up, but if you just want to be saved, if you just want to be like Jesus, if you just want it, you’ve got it.” These words remind me of what we learned about abiding in Jesus and growing good fruit. Part of the battle is our desire for it. If we have that desire, then we are on the right path. (The sermon was an excellent one and talked about ways Jesus’ blood brings us healing. If you have time, here is the link to the entire sermon – The Everlasting Covenant.)
Abiding in Jesus might also mean we will have seasons of pruning. But the end result will help us to flourish and grow good fruit, as we lean into Jesus and His love.
Thank you for joining this abiding journey. I hope you enjoyed the series. Let us know in the comments what your key takeaway was.
Dear Jesus, thank You for showing us how to abide in You. Sometimes we feel a bit lost, not knowing exactly how to grow in our walk with You. But over the last several weeks, we have learned that our top priority should be pursuing You and spending time with You. And You will naturally help change us, day by day. Help us to lean into You, Lord. There is no place we would rather be. Thank You! We love You! In Your extraordinary name we pray, Amen.
Gratitude Challenge for 2022
If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. When we walk in gratitude, we learn to abide in Jesus because gratitude naturally pulls us closer to the Lord, as we see how much He blesses us.
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
Happy Thanksgiving 2022
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US, so I want to take a moment to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! No matter what part of the world you live in, I hope you will take time today to thank God for all the blessings in your life. Our Heavenly Father does so much for us, every single day. We have so much to be thankful for. May we learn to stop and look around, and we will see so much goodness in our lives. And we will see that every day is a gift from God!
My blogger friend, Rainer, over at The Devotional Guy, has shared numerous posts on gratitude over the last several weeks. In some of them, he listed out some of the blessings that he was thankful for. So I hope he doesn’t mind, I am going to do the same here today.
I am thankful for a new day. Something I try to remember to do each morning is to thank God for another day. We might have problems in our lives, but when God wakes us up each morning, He gives us a gift.
“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
I am grateful for my family and friends. God places special people in our lives. They are there for us in the good times and the not so good. They bring joy and fellowship into our lives.
I am grateful that God has given me a job that I enjoy. And I am grateful that God has always provided and I have never had to do without.
I am grateful for Jesus. He is with me every day. He protects me and guides me every moment. I can look back and see ways He has miraculously been there for me. On this side of heaven we will not know all the ways the Lord has been working behind the scenes in our lives.
These are just a few things I am grateful for. I could list so much more. But I will limit my list so that you can take a turn too.
Before I go, I also want to take a moment to thank all of you for being here and for walking beside me on this journey. My heart overflows. I am so grateful for you and I can never tell you how much your presence means to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I pray you and yours have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Please feel free to share in the comments some of the things you are grateful for!
Gratitude Challenge for 2022: If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, from now through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. Gratitude draws us closer to the Lord as we look around for the blessings He pours into our lives.
Abide – Part 6
Do you want God’s best in your life? I bet the answer is “yes!” Keep reading and you’ll find out how to accept God’s best with open hands.
We are continuing the series of abiding in Jesus and learning what that looks like in our daily lives. When we started this series, we looked at some verses in John 15. Today we are going full circle and heading back to that same book and chapter. However, we are focusing on different verses today.
When we began this series, we started off with John 15:4-5, where Jesus said, “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. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Today we are going to look at several verses that surround the above verses. Keeping in mind the analogy that Jesus used when He said He was the vine and we were the branches, the specific topic that we are dealing with today has to do with pruning.
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit … If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:1-2,6)
In the first two verses here, Jesus is talking about branches that are attached, but they aren’t bearing fruit. The words here pertain to each of us. It might not be fun to think about pruning, but it must be done if we want to bloom.
The last verse reminds me more of an intrusive ivy that isn’t part of the plant, but it wound its way around the plant anyway. There are many people out there who pretend to be followers, but they really aren’t. The good news is that God sees our hearts. He knows if we are genuine.
But even genuine branches need to be pruned sometimes in order to produce more fruit.
In our yards, we pull weeds, we remove the dead plants and branches, and we sometimes even have to cut away living growth as well. All of this is done to help our plants flourish, to bring more growth, and to produce fruit. In the same way, God will pull weeds from our lives. He will remove things that aren’t benefiting us. And He will sometimes even cut away good things in our lives, if they don’t fit our purpose.
Pruning can be painful at times, but we are in the loving hands of the Lord. He can see the big picture. He knows what pieces of us should stay and what should go. Every day that we are on this earth, God is molding us to become more like Jesus. And at times that will require pruning.
“To help us become more fruitful, God cuts away whatever is hindering the bearing of that fruit. This includes sin in all its forms, as well as anything that distracts us from the Lord or draws us away from Him.”
Dr. Charles Stanley
Part of abiding means pruning. If we want Jesus to grow good fruit in our lives, we have to remove things that get in the way. God wants all of us. So that means we might have to lay down things in our lives that take our focus away from Him. Even good things in our lives might become an idol. But times of pruning can actually be a sweet time as we learn to lean on Jesus. Running into His arms will bring us much comfort and peace, as we grow and become stronger.
Through this process, we learn that Jesus is all we need and He is enough.
And in a way, it is really amazing to think about the fact that the Lord loves us that much to want to help us grow and change for the better. What a loving God we have!
When you find yourself in a season of pruning, take time to prayerfully seek the Lord. Ask Him what it is He wants to remove from your life. Hold everything with open hands. When we are willing to let go of the old, we will have room for God’s best.
Dear Jesus, we come to You with gratitude in our hearts. We admit that it is not fun to walk through a season of pruning, yet we know at times it is necessary. We are thankful that You love us enough to help us change and grow. And we are so glad to know that You will hold us in Your arms as we walk through a time of pruning. And most of all, we are so thankful that this means You will help us flourish as You grow good fruit in our lives. Thank You! We love You! In Your name we pray, Amen.
Gratitude Challenge for 2022
If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. When we walk in gratitude, we are pruning the negativity from our lives. We are growing good fruit of thanksgiving and joy, as we praise God for the blessings in our lives.
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
Abide – Part 5
In this series, we have been talking about abiding in the Lord. In the first four posts, we were in the book of John. The book of John was written by John, one of Jesus’ disciples. All of the Bible verses we have looked at so far were words that Jesus spoke when He walked the earth. Today we are moving over to the book of 1 John. 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John were books also written by the disciple John. And while the verses in these books will not contain words spoken directly by Jesus, “All Scripture is God-breathed” as it says in 2 Timothy 2:16.
I want to look at 1 John 2:6 which says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
The word abide here is the same Greek word which we have been talking about throughout this series.
I like the way this translation uses the word walk. This means “to regulate or conduct one’s life.” In this verse John offers some advice. When we claim to abide in Jesus, this should be noticeable by our actions. The New Living Translation puts 1 John 2:6 this way: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley: “To make a commitment to Christ is to make a decision to do what Jesus commanded us to do and to pursue with the whole heart, mind, and soul, the pure, wholesome, godly, and holy life that He lived. Jesus commanded us to be ‘perfect’ – which means to be whole. He commanded us to love one another. He commanded us to be diligent in keeping His teachings. He commanded us to be His witnesses at all times in all places. He commanded us to walk boldly by faith and to trust God to meet our needs, regardless of what those needs might be. Jesus gave all of Himself to us, and in return, Jesus requires all of us. That’s what it means to take up our cross daily and follow Him. That’s what it means to truly ‘walk the walk’ and not just ‘talk the talk’ of being a Christian.” [1]
Perhaps you think this is a lot to ask. How can we possibly do all that? We are not perfect, like Jesus. But as we have been studying the word “abide” we have seen that when we continually stay tethered to the Lord, we pull our strength from Him and He helps us to walk uprightly and produce the fruit of the Sprit in our lives.
As our relationship with the Lord continues to grow, with each passing day, our hearts also continue to change. We are being molded to become more like Jesus. And on top of that, out of our love for Him, we will want to walk in obedience.
In the book of Genesis, I love the way the Bible says that Enoch “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 5:22,24). And the Bible also tells us that Noah “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9). We too can make it a practice to walk with the Lord, every day. And as we walk with Him, we will walk like Him.
If we abide in Jesus, daily, we will naturally grow to be more like Him. God will lovingly mold us, like an experienced potter who molds the clay into a masterpiece. We just have to show up, every day. Spend time with Him. Make Him our number one priority. We will never regret it. We will find so much peace and joy in life when we learn to abide in Jesus.
Dear Jesus, thank You for revealing so much truth to us in Your Word. We learn so much about You when we read Scripture. We learn about Your character, and it guides us to become more like You. Help us to abide in You daily. And help us to walk like You did. We are so grateful for You, Jesus. And we love You! It is in Your amazing name we pray, Amen.
Gratitude Challenge for 2022
If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. When we read about Jesus’ life, we see many instances where He gave thanks. If Jesus felt gratitude was important, that tells me that walking in gratitude is vital for us as well.
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
[1] When the Enemy Strikes by Dr. Charles F. Stanley. A must-read book!
Abide – Part 4
We are continuing in the series of posts on Abiding in the Lord.
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” – The words of Jesus found in John 14:16-17
In this series on Abide, we have been talking about what abiding in the Lord looks like. And we have been focusing on Bible verses that have a specific Greek word in them (μένω menō). If you have been following from the beginning of this series, then you might recall that this word means: “To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):—abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry…”
In the passage above, Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. And He uses the Greek word for abide twice. When keeping the meaning behind the Greek word in mind, Jesus’ words shed new light on our relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit living within you. And Jesus basically says here that the Holy Spirit continually dwells in you. What an amazing gift we have!
Let’s take a look at the Amplified Bible version (AMP). In case you are not familiar with this version, it amplifies the text with additional wording and synonyms. You will see what I mean when you read John 14:16-17 below…
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.”
Look at all the ways the Holy Spirit is described here – Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, Standby, the Spirit of Truth.
You have the Helper, the Comforter, the Advocate, the Intercessor, the Counselor, the Strengthener, and the Spirit of Truth living inside you. He is with you every moment of every day. These verses in the AMP version also call Him the Standby. The definition of standby is “readiness for duty or immediate deployment.” The Holy Spirit is always ready to help!
I think many of us struggle to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit for many reasons. For one thing, we may not have heard a lot about Him in church. Some churches don’t talk about Him too much. God the Father and Jesus the Son are who we hear about most often. Or we might have heard Him mentioned, but we simply didn’t realize the immense gift we have.
When Jesus was talking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit in John 16:7, He said, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
Jesus told His disciples that it was to their advantage that He was going away, because He would send the Holy Spirit in His place. I bet the disciples were so grieved, they couldn’t imagine how Jesus’ departure would be advantageous. Yet those were Jesus’ words.
And now here we are, over two thousand years later; and we too have the advantage and precious gift of the Holy Spirit as well.
The Holy Spirit likely already helps you in so many ways each day. Many times, we might not realize it is Him. When you have a certain gut feeling about something, when you feel like God is warning you about something, when you seek wisdom, or when you seek strength – The Holy Spirit is there!
Max Lucado said, “For us not to consult the Spirit of God would be [foolish]. He is here to teach us. Our privilege is to stay in mindful communion with him. Day by day. Moment by moment.” [1]
Throughout this series we have talked about how abiding in the Lord helps us to grow good fruit in our hearts. And the Holy Spirit helps us in that regard as well. The Holy Spirit gives us discernment. He helps us to make better choices. He guides our actions and words, when we rely on Him. And when we mess up, the Holy Spirit convicts us, which in turn aids us in repenting.
In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, “We must rely on the Holy Spirit if we truly are going to have a renewed heart and mind and be able to develop spiritual maturity so we aren’t led around by the devil as if we were on his leash.” [2]
This quote points out the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit when it comes to spiritual warfare. And this quote also tells us that the Holy Spirit will help us to have a renewed heart as we grow in our spiritual walk. Those are some of the same things we have been focusing on throughout this series, as we have talked about developing fruit in our lives.
And the good news is that we always have the Holy Spirit with us. Dr. Charles Stanley also said, “I often hear Christians pray to invite God’s Spirit to join them. The truth is, we don’t need to invite the Lord to come into our presence. We are always in His presence! We are never apart from Him.” [3]
Let us remember what a precious gift we have in the Holy Spirit. He is constantly dwelling within each of us. We are never alone. We always have a Friend right there with us, to help us, guide us, encourage us, and so much more.
Dear Lord, today we give thanks for the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. What a priceless gift we have. Every single moment of every single day, the Spirit of Truth abides in us. We have the ability to seek wisdom and discernment in every situation in our lives, thanks to the Holy Spirit. And we have Someone who will alert us of danger. And Someone who will comfort us and strengthen us. But this is something we need to remind ourselves of daily. It can be easy to forget that we have the Holy Spirit with us at all times. So, Lord, we ask that you help us to remember this and to become more aware of His presence. Thank You. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Gratitude Challenge for 2022
If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. Gratitude is a great way to abide in the Lord as we look around for the blessings He pours into our lives.
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
[1] From the book Help Is Here by Max Lucado.
[2] & [3] Both quotes come from the book When the Enemy Attacks by Dr. Charles Stanley. Outstanding book, by the way. Very eye opening to the schemes of the devil.
Abide – Part 3
We are continuing to study abiding in the Lord, and what that looks like in our daily lives. In the book of John, chapter 5, two things took place that are significant. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and Jesus also said He was the Son of God. Both of these things angered the Jewish leaders. Jesus was talking to them and went on to explain about those who testified on His behalf – God and John the Baptist. There are two verses from this conversation that I want to touch on today.
In John 5:38, Jesus said, “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.”
When I think about many of the people who lived during Jesus’s time, it is heartbreaking to think that they had the Messiah right there in front of them, yet they didn’t recognize Him. Many of them were religious leaders. They knew Scripture quite well. But in this verse, Jesus points out that the Word was not abiding in them.
In his commentary, Matthew Henry put it this way, “The word of God was not … in their hearts; not ruling in their souls … not constantly in them … If the word abide in us, if we converse with it by frequent meditation, consult with it upon every occasion, and conform to it in our conversation, we shall then readily receive the witness of the Father concerning Christ…” [1]
I think this is an important lesson for us as well. I would bet that many of us know someone who can quote Bible verses, yet they don’t truly have the Lord living in their hearts. Even the devil quoted Scripture when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. (See Matthew 4:1-11.)
A few weeks ago, our assistant pastor gave the sermon at church. And he used words that I thought were fitting. He talked about how some people just “play church.” They might show up on Sunday morning, yet when they walk out the door of the church, they forget all about God. They live their lives for themselves, not for the Lord.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Personally, I don’t want to be among those that Jesus says those words to. And I don’t want to be like the people in Jesus’ day who missed the Savior that stood right in front of them.
The good news is that Jesus can see our hearts. He knows if we are sincere in our faith. However, even for those of us who truly love the Lord, I believe these words that Jesus spoke can help us to be vigilant when it comes to our walk with God.
The second verse that I wanted to touch on today comes from John 5:42 where Jesus said, “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.” The people who did not abide in the Word, also did not have the love of God in them. They were all about keeping rules and regulations, and much of it was to get recognition for themselves. They were not truly tethered to God. Our faith should not be about religious duties and checking off our daily to-do list. Our faith shouldn’t be something we “put on” for the sake of others or to impress our friends.
When we truly abide in Christ, the love of God is in us. The love flows both ways. He loves us and we love Him. And when we abide in Christ, the Word of God abides in us, because we abide in His Word daily.
Our walk with the Lord is all about staying in union with Him. When we meet with Him each day and seek Him out, we are getting to know Him. As we learn more about Him, our love for Him grows. We realize that He is all we want and all we need. Abiding in Jesus daily will help us to grow in this area. It takes effort and intentionality. We have to show up. God is a gentleman and He will not force us to spend time with Him. That is our choice. But the rewards are well worth it. Yes, it is true that when we abide in Him, He will help change our hearts. But we have to be diligent to do our part, and pursue God. The more we show up, the more we read our Bibles, the more we pray – over time we will see the fire for the Lord grow in our hearts.
Dear Jesus, we are so grateful for You. We want to learn to abide in You. We want a relationship with You. It is humbling and exciting to think about the fact that You actually want to spend time with us. But we need to show up. Every day. Please place a desire in our hearts for You. We know that You are truly all we need. We pray that truth encourages us to seek You and abide in You daily. Lord, help us to walk in gratitude for You. We have so much to be grateful for, including our relationship with You. Thank You. We love You. In Your Holy name we pray, Amen.
Gratitude Challenge for 2022
If you want to end 2022 on a positive note, then perhaps you will consider finding several things you are grateful for each day, through December 31. You can either write them down, or simply say a prayer of thanks. Gratitude helps us to keep the love of God and His Word abiding in our hearts.
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jhn/Jhn_005.cfm?a=1002038
Bridget A. Thomas 