Worthy Brief - 12/23/2025
Friend, practicing the presence: abiding as a lifestyle!
John 15:4-5 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
The life of the new creation is not sustained by effort, discipline, or religious activity—it is sustained by abiding. Identity in Messiah does not drive us into striving; it draws us into intimacy. When we know who we are, we are no longer desperate to perform. We are free to remain. And it is in remaining -- dwelling, abiding, staying -- that transformation quietly but powerfully takes place.
Yeshua's (Jesus') words in John 15:4–5 are not a suggestion; they are a spiritual law. “Abide in Me, and I in you.” Fruit does not come from striving branches but from connected ones. Life flows not from effort, but from union. Identity nurtures intimacy, and intimacy fuels obedience. When we abide, obedience becomes a response of love rather than a requirement of pressure. What once felt difficult becomes natural, because it flows from relationship, not resistance.
Practicing the presence of God is learning to live aware of Him in every moment. It is not confined to prayer rooms or worship gatherings; it is carried into ordinary life. It is learning to listen before reacting, to acknowledge Him in every decision, to invite His presence into every thought and conversation. Abiding turns the ordinary into holy ground. The believer who abides does not visit God—they dwell with Him.
As intimacy deepens, obedience follows. Not forced obedience, but willing obedience. Not fearful compliance, but joyful alignment. When the heart is anchored in His presence, sin loses its appeal, distractions lose their power, and the voice of the Spirit becomes unmistakably clear. The branch does not struggle to bear fruit; it simply stays connected to the vine. In the same way, the believer who abides finds that holiness grows organically, and faithfulness becomes the overflow of love.
Abiding as a lifestyle reshapes everything. It changes how we respond to pressure, how we walk through suffering, and how we carry responsibility. It teaches us to draw strength from the nearness of God rather than from our own reserves. The more we abide, the more we become aware that apart from Him we can do nothing—but in Him, everything He intends flows freely through us.
Friend, slow your soul and settle into His presence. Release the need to strive and choose to remain. Abide until His nearness becomes your atmosphere and His voice becomes your anchor. Let intimacy silence distraction, and let connection replace effort. Stay in the Vine until life flows freely through you and fruit becomes inevitable. This is your invitation—dwell, remain, abide. Practice His presence until obedience becomes joy and your life becomes living proof of union with Yeshua. Do not rush ahead—stay close, and let His life carry you.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George & Baht Rivka (Jacksonsville, Florida)
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