Abide in the Word

John 8:³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Jesus was at the temple telling the people about His relationship with the Father. Many came to believe in Him while He was teaching these things. He then tells those who believe that they need abide in His word if they want to be His true disciples. By abiding in Jesus' word, we learn the truth and that is what sets us free from the slavery of sin.

No wonder I feel so bogged down when I don't get to do my devotion, I'm allowing myself to be kept in slavery to my sin. The only way to lift the yoke of slavery to my flesh and this world is to abide in God's word. I haven't been good at abiding in God's word lately. As a result, I feel very sluggish and tired. If I am to be a true disciple of Jesus, I must be in His word all the time. Jesus wants me to be free. He has given me everything I need to be free, I just need to abide in it. I need to constantly be learning about Jesus. I can't just think about Him, I need to be actively seeking Him and learning more about Him. What can I learn about Jesus today? Well, I learned about how Jesus doesn't condemn us. Also, He only does what the Father tells Him to do. He is completely obedient to the Heavenly Father. Jesus only speaks the truth. He is the light of the world. For me to learn these things over and over again is to renew my mind. If I am really learning these things and abiding in them, then when my flesh has negative thoughts and lies, such as God doesn't care, or Jesus can't help me, I'll be able to break free from those lies and be free in Christ.

Heavenly Father, I love You. Thank You for Your Word. Jesus, thank You for making the Word known and for living it out. Jesus, help me to be a true disciple and keep me abiding in You. Lord, thank You for not condemning me. Thank you for being the Light and Truth and the Way to the Father. Please forgive me of my sins and renew my body, mind, and spirit. I love You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.