vine and branches

Abide Week: held continually

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

a*bide [uh-bayhd] verb, a*bode or a*bid*ed, a*bid*ing 2. to be held or kept continually

Repeated throughout the Psalms you see a sense of being held by God. In many instances it is a protection from danger found in being kept by God.

There is a protection. There is a rare tenderness. There is an empathy found in being held. I can think of only a few moments in my life when I was physically held. They were moments of brokenness and sadness. They were moments when I simply had nothing left to stand on or hold myself up.

My daughter is 4 months old right now. She is incapable of walking or crawling; she is barely able to hold her own body up for any significant amount of time. She has a dependant need for me to hold her. She would not get anywhere or anything if someone does not hold her and carry her.

Jesus is telling us very plainly, "You are incapable of anything or getting anywhere unless I hold you and keep you...continually."

There are moments when my daughter does not want to be held, and in those moments she has no choice but to stay right where she is.

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As creatively as you can, describe what it is like to be held continually?

#AbideWeek

Abide week

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -John15:5

a*bide [uh-bahyd]

verb, a*bode or a*bid*ed, a*bid*ing

1. to remain; continue; stay 2. to be held or kept continually 3. to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship;          last 4. to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting 5. to wait for; await 6. to accept without opposition or question 7. to pay the price or penalty of