Abiding in Jesus’ love

Call To Prayer 

Title: Abiding in Jesus’ love 

By: Njuacha Hubert 

Date: 17.02.2024 

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. John 15:9-10 

Some time ago when I read the opening verses it confused or surprised me. It starts with “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Reading this first part felt like I received a comforting promise; I should remain in His love. It sounded like there wasn’t much I should do but believe He loves me. But then proceeding further I read “if you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, …” I was a little disappointed. It is like you are invited to a party and then asked to wash the dishes. How does keeping commands equate to remaining in someone’s love? 

Asking the Holy spirit to help me understand, He led me to reflect on the relationship between we and our biological fathers. A good father loves his children. He wants the best for his children. At a tender age you may misinterpret the discipline and rules of your father to mean wickedness. These rules that he gives are not just for his interest but your good. However sometimes its only when we grow older and gain more understanding that we begin to appreciate those rules that we had. At the time they felt like limitation or constraint but latter on you realize it was protection and guidance and ultimately for your good. Now imagine a family with many sons and daughters. Although the father loves all the children, it is only those that obey the rules of the father that benefit from this expression of the father’s love.  

With this, I was able to understand why Jesus said remain in my love by keeping my commands. That’s because his commands are an expression of his love. John 10:10 says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and have it in abundance.” So, you see, while the devil and what he proposes, that is disobedience to the will God, is aimed at our destruction, the commands of God lead to a better life. We are not talking of only in the afterlife but even here and now, you will taste of the goodness of the Lord if you remain in His love by keeping his commands by His grace. TRUST and obey! 

Prayer Point 

Let’s thank God for His love. Let’s pray for the grace to abide in His word and meditate upon it day and night.