abide // 2024.

 2015: trust. 2016: healing. 2017: growth. 2018: discipline. 2019: new. 2020: rooted. 2021: release. 2022: see. 2023: hallowed.

and this year?

abide.

(verb) in biblical terms: to stay, remain, dwell, linger.

I don’t have a lot of words to offer to describe the why behind this word being ours for 2024, only that I kept coming back to it. And considering how much anticipation is mingled with fear as the page turns on to another year, I believe that the only way we won’t be crushed by the assaults of fear and looming/continuing sorrow is to abide — to stay close to our Lord.

I used to think that a positive attitude was what proved my faith, but I don’t believe that anymore. In reality, my positive attitude was a form of denial and self-protection that I needed to lay down and stop hiding behind. I have been truly surrendering (little by little) for years now, no longer wearing masks to hide the truth. My family is on this journey of breaking free, too; we’re walking this road together. A slow, winding road with many bumps. But our hearts are locked in and soft. Our eyes are set. Our palms are open.

2024.

This year promises to be the most adventurous and full year of our lives. This year, also, threatens to be the saddest and lowest year of our lives, too.

So, we will abide.

We will abide.

We will abide.

And He will draw us close.

He will continually heal us from the inside out as we seek Him on this road.

We will not worship our own strength on the mountaintops.

We will not make our bed in the valley.

We will abide.

Hallelujah to our triune God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Pruning even the good things in our lives to make room for more fruit to grow in its place. Ever rejoicing with us, weeping with us, laughing with us, and simply (powerfully) being with us.

We will abide. Hallelujah.

Our meditation:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” -John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭(ESV‬)

Our song:

Abide by The Worship Initiative

Our prayer:

Jesus, draw us close and teach us to be abide.