ABIDE
I am so happy to be here with you lovely ladies today! I have been praying for you that you would know how much the Lord loves you and that He came for you! My name is Cari Dietzel and I am wife to Rob, or Ron as my iPhone likes to rename him, for 27 years praise God, and mom to three beautiful boys who are 21 and twins that are about to be 18…WHAAATTT?? I praise God for the life He’s given me and for the amazing friendship he gave me in Hallie. We go way back! When we first started hanging out one of my favorite memories of her is that at the same time as she was pregnant with Pearson, we were on an adoption waiting list (more on that later). She said, I hope you get your baby before I get mine. Turns out I did! Isn’t that just the definition of friendship? Selflessness. I know you all know this about her. Some time after that she sent me a note asking me to be her best friend forever and the rest is history! Couldn’t be more thankful for you Hallie and your influence over my life and your walking with me through these deep valleys that I’m about to talk about. Love you boo!
Does anyone else struggle with anxiety? It’s probably just me. I am here to talk to you about moving from anxiety to abiding. And I feel like the Lord has tested me in this even the last couple weeks. So if you want to sharpen your abiding skills go ahead and teach on it. When we talk about abiding in Jesus, what are we really saying? It wouldn’t be a good lesson without a Webster’s definition of abide right? So abide means…to bear patiently, to endure without yielding, to wait for, to accept without objection. I don’t know about you but many times in my life this has been easier said than done. Over the last 23 years or so I have walked through some fairly fiery trials. Just as an aside my mom is here and she might cry through this whole thing. Sorry momma, but thanks for walking with me in this as well! It started with the infertility years. I endured several treatments to try and achieve pregnancy all to no avail. I was never able to get pregnant meanwhile every person around me was accomplishing this with ease. This was my first go around on the bitter bus. This of course led us to adoption and along came our miracle boys! I’m so thankful I was infertile, otherwise I wouldn’t have my boys. So I really thought, ok infertility is my hard thing. DONE! The rest of my life should be smooth sailing right? Silly girl! Lo and behold in 2014 I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 39. That was quite a shock! It was an absolute miracle that the cancer was even found because my mom forced me to get a mammogram before the age of 40. I firmly believe that the Lord put that on my mom’s heart and what do you know there it was. A cancer that would never have been found from self examination. I was beside myself with anxiety, as was my mom. I endured 3 surgeries and 5 weeks of radiation in 15 months time. Can I tell you that the Lord knew I needed Hallie during this time. She threw me the dance party to end all dance parties right before my first surgery and she brought me a present for every single day of my radiation. Since dancing and presents are my love language, that might be why she’s the bomb.com to me. Second only to my husband who was my rockstar during the cancer! So what started out in fear and sadness, the Lord used for His glory and my good, of course He did. As far as my boys go, one has crohns disease. A digestive disorder where he experiences crippling pain and that has us in the ER every now and again. One has neurofibromatosis (say that 10 times fast). A disease where he could develop tumors anywhere on his body at any time. And then most recently my youngest son broke his back in three places. Granted he did jump off of a 97 ft high cliff, but it was frightening none the less. He would probably have drowned, but of course God had a youth group right there at that moment who just happened to be watching these crazy kids jump off the cliff. They pulled him out of the water and prayed for him. It was an absolute miracle that he survived, let alone that he can still walk. For details on all of these things see me after.
All of this to say, do we have cause for concern? Are there ample reasons to worry? Is there much anxiety to be had? Absolutely!! And believe me I have visited that place often in my life! I have jumped on and off the bitter bus many times. I have camped out in that very dark place only to find that it accomplishes nothing. But God is good and He has taught me so much through every trial. I love this quote from Elisabeth Elliot, “ Out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires have come the deepest things I know about God.” I have found this to be true! Lets Pray
How do we abide in Christ when the trials come? How do we hold fast in suffering? Because if anything is sure it’s that we will encounter suffering this side of heaven. Jesus Himself said in Jn 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will (not you might) have tribulation. But take heart: I have overcome the world.” But He has given us everything we need for life and godliness, we just need to capitalize on it.
Attached to the VINE
The passage in John 15:4-11 says the word ABIDE 10 times. I think that means it is pretty important. I’m fast forwarding to Easter a little bit here, but stick with me. In this passage Jesus is with His disciples in the upper room talking to them about what is going to happen, the inevitable. He is teaching them about how to remain in Him after he is gone. Let’s read vs 4&5…
Jn 15:4-5
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. 5 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.
We are branches. I thought about bringing a random branch in here to have a visual, but picture right now just a branch on the ground. It just fell off the tree a couple hours ago. There are still leaves on it, but its days are numbered right? That branch is helpless to do anything on its own. It cannot keep growing, it cannot sprout a tree trunk to keep itself alive, and it’s definitely not going to produce an apple. Being attached to the Vine is the only hope it has. That is us! We must be attached to the Vine. We must remain in Him. You guys the Holy Triune God of the universe came and dwelt among us as an infant, Emmanuel God with us, so that we might abide with him! The Holy Trinity lives in every believer! Is this not amazing? We have everything we need for life and godliness because the God of the universe lives in us and we need to be quick to call out to him in our trials and in daily life. I just think we forget this so often. In a sermon I watched from Francis Chan, he said that many christians are content to just meet with Moses; take a selfie with him. But we can go up the mountain ourselves! We can meet with God, fellowship with him, abide in him. When things are going along smoothly I get complacent and forget that He is with me. I forget to abide, to remain, to stay. When I do cry out to Him I am amazed at how powerful He is.
There is one instance I can remember so clearly which happened shortly after the cancer diagnosis. We went to Disneyland to try and escape our problems (turns out that doesn’t really work) and I was riding space mountain. A super fast roller coaster that goes along in a very dark building. I really like the ride and have never been afraid of it, but this time I had an overwhelming feeling of “You’re going to die, He does not love you, He is not with you.” I literally felt sick to my stomach. And so in the middle of the ride I cried out to Jesus. “Jesus please help me, I am so scared, I need you, I can’t do this!” And guess what, perfect peace washed over me. I felt His presence in a very tangible way. I know that was the Holy Spirit comforting me. When I was in the hospital waiting for my first surgery to begin, I felt completely peaceful. It was a strange numbness that I felt and there was even an earthquake as I was sitting on the gurney. What are the odds?? I absolutely know that was our amazing God helping me endure that trial. The trials that we endure are the ultimate test of our faith and whether or not we are going to abide with Him through it all. I love these verses from Ps 27:4-5
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell (abide) in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
2. Abide in the Word
Not only is our Heavenly Father dwelling in us as believers but He gave us His perfect Word that we MUST abide in as well!
1Jn2:5
But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
Jn8:31
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Jn15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
The word of God is so, so powerful! He gave it to us as a gift! Are we using it to its full potential? Just like Heb4:12 reminds us…
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
I think these verses tell us that in order to truly abide with our Lord we must have his word coming out of our pores. We must be so immersed in it that it comes out naturally. It changes our minds. It gets into the deepest parts of our soul. I don’t know about you but my thoughts can run wild at a moments notice. My mind has been known to weave quite a tale with almost zero fact involved. Early on in the infertility years I would feel nervous every time the phone rang because I thought someone else was calling with their happy news. I was having a really hard time rejoicing with those who rejoice. I memorized Phil 4:6-7 at that time, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This one has been a faithful friend all these years. I would literally say it 50 times a day. Every time those feelings of anxiety came up I would say it a few more times. It became a mantra for me through the cancer, through my kids struggles, and just daily life and I can honestly say that it changes my mind. I have used that verse and others many times over the years. Study it, memorize it, read it every day! It’s not optional, it’s essential! We need it so much and it is so powerful!
3. In ACCEPTANCE lies peace
This is a big one for me. I have often said these words and Hallie can testify, “why does everything happen to me?” I was mostly kidding and being dramatic but there must be a part of me that really believes this. I also have always thought that my book title would be Tales of a Barren Cancer Patient, but that is subject to change. Sometimes I just think…too many hard things. What am I not learning that God has to keep teaching me the same thing. If anyone understands facing the trial that was set before him it’s Jesus right? He has suffered all things, even to death. We have a very sympathetic High Priest. If anyone understood the concept of “in acceptance lies peace” it was him.
Heb 12:2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Matt 26:39
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
One of my favorite books is by Elizabeth Elliot and it is titled Be still my soul. I have read it 3 times. She talks alot about the concept of in acceptance lies peace. She had been no stranger to trials and I love what she says here
“I would have no reason to simply accept the awful things that happen if I had no idea that Somebody was governing this world and that my individual life was completely under the control of the One who possesses perfect wisdom, perfect justice, and perfect love. I have no care for anything, for all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, and all that I suffer have been joyfully placed at His disposal.”
As soon as we start to understand that every single circumstance, every trial, and every anxiety that I carry around is part of God’s perfect plan for my good and His glory, I can accept it and have His perfect peace. It’s not happening to me, it’s happening for me, that I might be more like Him. This quote from Alister Begg is so good
To trust God with all my heart is to display a deep, settled confidence in God’s care at the very core of my life, where my desires, my anxieties, my doubts, and my disappointments live.
In closing, we must decide to abide. It is not going to come naturally to us. We have everything we need for life and godliness, but we have to do our part. Didn’t Jesus say, pick up your mat and walk, and go and wash in the pool 7 times to be healed from blindness? Jesus performed the miracle but they had to do their part too. God, in all his glory came down to earth to abide with us! Warren Wiersbe says it like this…
This abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine, but it must be cultivated in the Christian life. It is not automatic. Abiding in Christ demands worship, meditation on God’s word, prayer, sacrifice and service-but what a joyful experience it is. Once you have begun to cultivate this deeper communion with Christ, you have no desire to return to the shallow life of the careless Christian.
Also this quote from John MacArthur really spoke to me
“The best thing that could happen to a believer is to have something go wrong in life, and the more that goes wrong, and the more times things go wrong, and the more years you experience the things that go wrong, the more your faith is tested, the more your true faith is tested, the stronger it becomes.”
In essence rejoice in our trials like James talks about. God is working in our trouble! I can honestly say that I am thankful for every trial! Even the broken back and that just happened in June of this year. If I weren’t infertile, then I wouldn’t have my beautiful boys and I don’t even want to fathom that. The cancer strengthened my marriage in amazing ways, gave me a more heavenly perspective, and I have been able to walk with and completely empathize with several women who find themselves in my same position. I can’t really describe to you how the Lord used the broken back in my son’s life and all of our lives. I would need days to tell you about all the details. Suffice it to say that only God could have brought about the sheer volume of beauty for ashes that I have experienced. I really believe my struggle is less about me as it is about God’s glory and me being able to serve others more fully. And you guys I don’t know how this is all going to work out but I do know everything will be ok because I know for certain that the Hope of Heaven came down and dwelt among us, and that our God is infinitely bigger than anything you or I face. If we could practice this and get really good at seeing our trials as a gift from the Lord. As his refining us and making us more like Jesus, bringing glory to his name and making us long for heaven. This world is not our home! That we would know in the deepest parts of our soul that He really is our Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This is how we abide with Him. I just want to leave you with these two amazing promises from our Lord
1 Pet 5:10
The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Ps 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Aren’t these amazing?? So my prayer for you this Christmas is that every day, every hour you will choose to abide with our Savior. He came that we might abide with Him!
