The Call to Abide
Jesus gives helpful instruction to every believer in John 15. This passage overflows with encouragement to cling tightly to Christ (the Vine) as his father (the Vinedresser) cares for him and for us. We learn what it means to abide. Abiding in Christ means bearing patiently as he instructs and guides. Through abiding, we learn to endure without giving up as we wait for his good timing.
What Is Abiding?
This process allows believers to endure any and everything life throws our way this side of heaven. How? Through Christ. He is our shield in trials (Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 18:2). Christ guides when we feel lost (John 14:9–12). He is our comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3–5), and our ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). All of these attributes remain unwavering in the Lord, but how do we access them? Through the power of the Spirit dwelling in us and by abiding in Christ our Savior!
I once heard abiding compared to tubing behind a boat on a lake. If you’ve ever experienced tubing, you know there isn’t much you can do but hold on tightly. The driver of the boat determines when, where, and how fast you’ll move. Water surrounds you, a condition you cannot control. Speed spurs you onward as you feel the adrenaline coursing through your body. You must simply cling as tightly as possible to the handles before you.
This, dear friends, is like abiding. We trust the driver to care for us. There’s often nothing we can do about the conditions or temperature of the water around us. The speed will vary and the turns might be sharp. But we hold on nevertheless.
How Do We Abide?
One of the ways we abide in Christ is through the ongoing memorization and study of Scripture. Scripture is the words of God given to us to know Him more clearly and deeply. Through memorization and intentional study, we learn how to walk faithfully in his ways.
This is why we created the Abide Scripture Memory Journal. In college, our founder Gretchen Saffles carried note cards with Bible verses written on them to study and memorize. The process was great, but the cards would become tattered and torn with time. She wanted something more durable—something to carry on the go and keep nearby to hide Scripture in her heart.
The New Scripture Memory Journal
The new Abide Scripture Memory Journal (available 6/17/20) has been intentionally updated to better serve you. We replaced the card stock covers with a very durable, sturdy cover on the front and back. These beautiful covers also feature gold-foil lettering which reads “Word Before World.” The back features our logo and both covers have beautiful flowers hand-painted by Gretchen.
Inside the journal, you’ll find 50 index-card-sized pages for Bible verses. The format is simple: write the reference on the front of the card and the verse on the back. See if you can recall the verse by seeing the reference. Flip back and forth to study and memorize until you know it by heart. We also updated the reference pages to include beautiful gold-foil florals throughout the journal.
We believe in the power of hiding God’s Word in your heart, and this journal will help you take verses with you on the go. Toss it in your purse, keep in by your nightstand, prop it up while you wash dishes or fold clothes—but let it be a visible reminder to know the truth!
The Jot It Down Journal
While we firmly believe the Bible is first and foremost when it comes to knowing God’s Word, we also love to read about and listen to teachings on Scripture! And we’ve seen firsthand how writing down notes and important statements help us remember and retain the information we take in. Hence, the Jot It Down Journal. This simple journal gives you space to take notes while listening to a sermon or podcast, or reading a book.
We’ve updated the covers from flexible cardstock to a durable, heavy cover wrapped in navy linen. The front cover features beautiful gold foil, and sturdy O-ring construction to lay the journal flat or flip in half. We’ve included hand-painted floral artwork lining in the front and back covers. You’ll also find two sections in this journal: Jot It Down and Take Note. In addition to the 50 two-page spreads for jotting down what you’re learning, we’ve included 20 note pages for extra notetaking.
The sections are separated by two durable floral tabs with gold-foil lettering indicating each section title. At the front of the journal, you’ll still find a helpful lexicon to record the name and date of each entry in the Jot It Down section. We want this journal to endure ongoing use as you carry it to church or keep it with your Bible for additional notetaking.
Other Items in the Abide Collection
We’ll be sharing more about the other items in the Abide collection next week. However, we wanted to clarify how the two updated journals vary from their previous editions. Our goal is to always be improving as we provide resources to help you know and follow Jesus.
Find these items as well as a new set of sticky notes, a new Abide pen, a set of Abide verse cards on John 15:1–13, a Fruit of the Spirit bookmark, and a floral Abide magnet in the Well-Watered Co. beginning June 17. We hope these resources inspire you to dig into the Word of God and hide his truths in your heart.
–The WWW Team
Be the first to comment