Abide in ChristSpeaker: Sis. Stella Dhinakaran Gist: Your life can be fruitful only when you abide in the love of Christ. Your household can be blessed only when Christ is the head of your house. You can abide in Christ only when you have a consistent prayer life. We see in the Old Testament that the Lord sent the good news to His servant David saying, "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16). David acknowledged it, saying, "The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel. And let the house of Your servant David be established before You" (2 Samuel 7:26).
Dear friend, if you really desire that you and your household should be established forever, offer this same prayer to the Lord, "Let the house of Your servant be established forever."
In August 1989, we conducted a crusade specially for women. 17th August is my wedding day. On that day, I testified that the Lord gave me His abundant grace to pass through thirty years of married life. He has granted me His grace to enter the thirty-first year. A few days later, a sister wrote to me saying, "How blessed you are to have passed thirty years of happy married life! It is not even one year since I got married. But how many are the problems that I face in my life! My husband does not like to live with me. I am languishing in sorrow and loneliness."
"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." (1 John 5:19)
"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15,16)
We are living in evil days. Yet we can say as King David says, "Let the house of Your servant David be established before You" (2 Samuel 7:26).
This is a great privilege granted to us, children of God! Others may complain of problems and factions. But we, who are God's beloved children can boldly say as David, "By God's grace I have His abundant showers of blessings. My house shall be established forever."
You may ask me if I have had no sorrows in all these long years of my married life and if I had experienced happiness all the time since I got married. No, my dear friend. From the day of my marriage, I have also had sorrows one after another. But it was neither my husband nor me, but it was our gracious Lord Jesus who dwells with us all the time enabled me, even in their midst, to pass all these years.
"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." (John 15:4,5)
This is the whole secret for God's blessings to remain in you forever and in your family life. Abide in Him; He is the vine. You can then boldly say as St.Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
Call upon the Lord saying, "Jesus! Come into my heart. You be the head of my house!" In so many houses, you can see a wall-hanging which says, "Christ is the head of this house, the unseen guest at every meal, the silent listener to every conversation." But unfortunately, there may not be any relationship between the inmates and Lord Jesus Christ.
Once a father and daughter came to our house for dinner. It is our usual practice to say 'grace' before every meal, and on that particular day, my husband asked our guest to say the grace before meal. He closed his eyes and mouth tightly and kept quiet. His daughter opened her eyes, stared at her father for sometime and then said, "My father has not prayed in all his life. So uncle, you please pray." What a pity! His name is Jebasingh (meaning the king of prayer).
Dear friend, do you have prayers in your home? There are some who pounce upon their meals as soon as it is brought to the table. It is an ungrateful Christian life! How can your family be without any problem or faction? How many of you can honestly say, "Christ is the head of my house." Can your neighbours testify about you saying, "The family next door is an exemplary one! Everyday, early in the morning, they sing songs of praise and have family prayers. They will not utter a lie. They will never deviate from the straight and righteous path of God's ways." But the Lord assures you today, "Let bygones be bygones. From now on, I desire to bless your family abundantly." He will forgive all your failings if you just confess them. He sacrificed His own life to redeem you from your sins. Get reconciled to Him in all humility. The Lord will grant you His grace to pursue the path of righteousness. The Lord has asked us to seek Him faithfully like a child. You may perhaps be in your old age. That does not matter. Seek the Lord for everything. Let your house be blessed and established through you! (1 Peter 3:1).
Prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father,
Help me to remain truthful and faithful to You always. Help me to be grateful for the blessings that You have showered on me and my dear ones. Wash me with Your precious blood and grant me the grace to abide in You all the days of my life so that I may bear good fruits. Help me to grow in love, faith and fellowship with everyone. In Jesus' matchless name, I pray.
Amen. |