In the midst of all of my studying as of late, most of my “pleasure reading” time has been brutally banished backstage. However, earlier this week, something compelled me to wander into my church library – a quaint place filled with marble floors, ceiling-high bookshelves and hundreds of old books. As I perused the shelves, one particular book that I had never seen before caught my eye.

It was as if I had stumbled across an old friend.

The green hard-backed cover was worn along the edges and the gold lettering on the front had long since lost its luster. When I’m holding a book like that, it almost feels like I’m holding a bit of history. Think of all the places that book could have seen… wood paneled walls, a bearskin rug on the floor in front of a roaring fire, snowflakes drifting down outside while the lamplighter makes his way along the cobblestone streets…

Oh, but I digress.

The reason behind this quaint and romantic-ish post is because I found a treasure. I’m not completely finished with it yet (I need to get some more hot chocolate), but I couldn’t help but share a beautiful thought that I found in its well worn pages.

My beloved fellow-believer, go, and take time alone with Jesus, and say this to Him. I dare not speak to you about abiding in Him for the mere sake of calling forth a pleasing religious sentiment. God’s truth must at once be acted on. O yield yourself this very day to the blessed Savior in the surrender of the one thing He asks of you: give up yourself to abide in Him. He Himself will work it in you. You can trust Him to keep you trusting and abiding.

And if ever doubts again arise, or the bitter experience of failure tempt you to despair, just remember where Paul found His strength: ‘I am apprehended of Jesus Christ.’ In that assurance you can have a fountain of strength. From that you can look up to the whereunto on which He has set His heart, and set yours there too. From that you gather confidence that the good work He hath begun He will also perform. And in that confidence you will gather courage day by day, afresh to say,'"I follow on, that I may be apprehended that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” It is because Jesus has taken hold of me, and because Jesus keeps me, that I dare to say: Savior I abide in Thee.”

From chapter 3 of the book Abiding in Christ by Rev. Andrew Murray, published London: 1885.

[This book has since been redesigned and still available … so if you are not fortunate enough to obtain an old, historic copy, a new one works just as well!]

Trusting Him to keep me abiding,
Beth