Together in Christ: 'Stay with Him!' — 2 Chronicles 15:1-2

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Merry Christmas!

We pray the Lord blesses you with the grace of Jesus' presence this Christmas!

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Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. "Listen to me, Asa!" he shouted. "Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you."
— 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 NLT

Key Thought

The Lord is God. He will be faithful to us and stay with us. However, we must choose to stay with Him, be loyal to Him, and obey Him. Our lives need to revolve around God, similar to the planets of our solar system revolving around the sun. God's blessings are available, constant, and powerful, but we must choose to stay in our orbit around God to keep receiving them. As we keep God at the center of our lives, we receive blessings from His presence and power. As believers in Christ, we know God has lavished His mercy, grace, and love on us in Jesus. We respond by choosing to stay with God no matter what happens. He will help us and deliver us and bless us. But we need to stay near Him, seek Him, [1] and find life in Him. [2] Jesus said it this way:

"No, I will not abandon you as orphans — I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."

. . .

"All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them." [3]

Let's stay with God no matter what life, the world, or the evil one throws at us!

[1] Seeking God and obeying what He has said are crucial to "staying with God." Amos challenged the people of God to seek Him and not just go to more religious gatherings — Amos 5:5-6. Jesus used the phrase sometimes translated "abide in me" to emphasize this point — John 6:56 ESV; John 15:4-9 ESV.
[2] John 1:1-4, 8:12, 10:10.
[3] John 14:18-23.

Today's Prayer

Forgive me, Father, for I sometimes don't stay with You. My heart wanders and becomes fascinated with other things that crowd You out of my life. I want You to be the center of My loyalties. I want my life to orbit around You, Your love, and Your purposes for me. Please forgive my wayward and forgetful heart for sometimes straying. Deep in my soul, I know that true life, genuinely abundant life, is found by living with You as my center. I repledge myself to You this day and seek to make You my ordering center for all of my life. In Jesus, I pray and make this commitment. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Amos 5:1-24
  • John 15:1-17 ESV

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Illustration

Illustration of 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 NLT — Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. "Listen to me, Asa!" he shouted. "Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you."

About This Devotional

Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.

'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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