Abiding in Christ

I finished reading the book "The True Vine" by Andrew Murray (see my page titled "The Book List" to see my assessment of the book).  It was excellent and gave many good reminders of what it means to wait on and abide in Christ.  It has given me a renewed desire to pray for others and for myself, but more importantly to take time alone with Christ on a regular basis, doing nothing more than sitting and waiting for His Spirit to move within my heart and reveal Jesus to me more fully.  Oh to know the height and depth and width and breadth of the love of God!  I pray that I may come to more fully understand who He is and to more fully love as He does.

Here's an excerpt from the book that I found especially challenging/encouraging,

Let everyone who professes to be a Christian worker pause.  Ask whether you are leaving your mark for eternity on those around you.  It is not your preaching or teaching, your strength of will or power of influence, that will secure this.  All depends on having your life full of God and His power.  And that again depends upon your living the truly branchlike life of abiding - close and unbroken fellowship with Christ.  It is the branch that abides in Him that brings forth much fruit, fruit that will abide [last].

...

O my heavenly Vine, it is beginning to dawn upon my soul that fruit, more fruit, much fruit - abiding fruit - is the one thing that You have to give me and the one thing as branch that I have to give You!  Here I am.  Blessed Lord, work out Your purpose in me; let me bear much fruit, abiding fruit, to Your glory.

Amen