Keep His words

Key verse: John 14:23

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Read: Acts 3:1-12

Love is the critical point in relationship. God so loved the world and He gave His only begotten Son. The one who gave His Son for us because of love demands that we love Him in return. When we do love Him, He promises not only to come to us but to dwell with us. Anyone would assume Peter loved Christ from the activities they had together. But when the poor man denied Christ thrice, it must be clear and apparent that Peter’s love was on the lips. Not long after Christ was crucified, our friend had returned to his vomit dragging other “children” followers with him. But after the Lord instructed him to feed His lambs and sheep if indeed he loved Him, Peter became a better lover. He stood for the course of the Lord by keeping His words. Soon, he raised the lame and faced the crowd. This was one who could not stand to be confronted by a damsel for Christ’s sake. The difference is love. Once he became devoted to Christ in love, something changed. The Lord abode with him and he started to do things he could not do before.

The Lord wants to make His abode with you also. He wants you to do spectacular things for Him and on His behalf on earth. But this cannot happen based on your lip service. He knows those who are His. You cannot deceive God. No, you cannot mock Him. What He says is what He says; what He prefers is what He prefers. Don’t go about with half obedience to satisfy your lust and assume you are pleasing Him. Having God abode with one is a great privilege which many crave for. It was not ordinary for Peter’s shadow to heal the sick: it was God in the shadow that performed the fete. When God is out of the equation of any man, the same is empty. Ask Samson. When the Lord had His abode with Samson, he could do all manner of unimaginable things. How can a man gather foxes together and torch their tails without hurting him in any way? How did a man kill a thousand soldiers with jaw bone of an ass? Were they approaching him one after the other? But when his abode was empty, he became a sport to his enemies.

God loves us. But He demands that we love Him in return by simply keeping His words. When we do, He abodes with us. The first set of words He is speaking to someone today is “you must be born again”. Do you love Him enough to keep those words? If yes, then expect Him in your tabernacle. Shalom!

Pray: Father, I love that you abode with me, please help me to love you enough to keep your words in Jesus name.