1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian LOVE | Page 7

A great picture of this is seen in the life of Job who, despite the incredible adversity and
tragic circumstances of his life, never let go of God. That despite drastic ill-health and
personal tragedy he continued to hold fast to the belief that God is good all the time. The
famous words that Job uttered ring so true at this particular point where, at the
culmination of his incredible loss, people said to Job, “Why don’t you just curse God and
die?” and Job offered those beautiful words, “The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away,
blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1 v 21) Job is a great example of an “abider”.
When I think of Job’s life I feel absolutely inspired on one hand and seriously embarrassed
on the other. When I think of the small issues that would seek to separate me from God
and cause me to stop “remaining in him”, I am embarrassed because they seem, in
comparison to Job’s challenges, small and insignificant. But I find his life an inspiration
and a greatmodel to hold up and elevate and to say to myself that Job had the same power
to abide and remain in the vine as I do, all I need to do is harness that same mind-set that
led him to truly believe that the power of the Holy Spirit in him would lead him to be a
conqueror way beyond what he believed he was personally able to do.
Prayer Thought: Take some time before you pray today to name the issues that would seek
you to “unabide” from the vine, recognising them and taking full responsibility for your
response to them is critical in helping you overcome them. Take some time to talk to God
about each one and then resolve today to deal with each one of them differently to the way
that you did yesterday. Make a habit of seeing these issues through God’s eyes as opposed to
through your own and see again the wonder of the power of the Holy Spirit in you to live out
the Christ life through you.

FRIDAY
Mark 6
John 15 v 11 speaks of two benefits to abiding in the vine. The first benefit is found in verse
11 where it says that those who abide in the vine and love as Christ has loved will receive
a FULLNESS OF JOY. The principle that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive is
fundamental in our understanding of this truth. When I think of how that little boy who
gave Jesus his lunch, in Mark 6,I can only imagine the joy that he must have felt after he
had seen Jesus do something miraculous with that which he had given. I’m sure that he
would certainly have agreed with the principle that “It is more blessed to give than to
receive”. I am sure that there are many parents out there who, when they give gifts to
their children, enjoy the act of giving it more than their child does to receive it. People
who are generous in giving, whether it be financially, relationally or emotionally, are, I
know, some of the happiest people that you will find. There are some, however, who resist