March 12, 2024

Melinda Scurlock
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you."
John 15:7

The word abide has been a word that the Lord has pressed upon me for the past several months. Abide means to remain, believe, and trust that Jesus is everything we need. This past year I had avoided letting go of a hardship that my family was going through. I reverted back to the way I was raised and that is to take control. I think now that I was fearful and thought I might lose a loved one and that God might need my help.

Through our difficult medical decisions and family relationships, I know now that I wasn’t completely obedient in that area of my life. But God has been faithful and loving as I have been walking through these difficulties. The Lord has reminded me that He will never leave or forsake me in all situations. I know that our faith will sometimes be put to the test no matter how long we have been a believer. Fortunately, I have friends from Community Group and Cypress Creek Church to encourage me and pray for me and that is powerful.

The point of my story is that God wants our obedience in all of life. When we abide in Him we remain in Him through it all. Our obedience is motivated by our love for Jesus. I know these truths but I let my guard down. I am so thankful for a God who loves me and cares about every area of my life. His Word, worship, and prayer time brought me back to where I needed to be. The problems have not gone away but they are better. I have peace and strength in knowing that I am obediently abiding in Him.