It’s a Journey…

It was early morning, not quite light yet — quiet, except for the slow rhythm of the horses breathing. Mist hung low in the trees, and for a moment, the world felt perfectly still.

I had stood quietly with the horses a hundred times before, but that morning, something felt different. My mind wasn’t racing through my list for the day. I wasn’t planning or solving. I was just there — present. 

As I became aware of the time that was passing, I sensed the Lord whisper something simple but piercing:

“Don’t worry about the time. Just lean into this moment.”

It stopped me. Because if I’m honest, so much of my life — even my spiritual life — can become a list. Read. Pray. Serve. Lead. Check. Check. Check.

But Jesus doesn’t hand us a checklist. He extends an invitation:

“Come to Me… Follow Me… Abide in Me.”

That’s the rhythm of His heart — a continual drawing near, not a striving to complete.

The Gift of Circling Back

We’ve been talking for weeks about rest, stillness, and the rhythms of grace — and maybe it feels like we keep circling back to the same message. But that’s exactly the point.

The world spins fast. Information, opinions, and even “Christian content” constantly demand our attention. Jesus’ voice gets buried under the noise unless we stop and turn back toward Him again and again.

That’s what discipleship really looks like — a constant returning.

When Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary…” (Matthew 11:28), He wasn’t inviting a crowd to a one-time encounter. The same Greek word for come is used when He told His disciples, “Come, follow Me.” It means “join Me in the journey.”

It’s not a moment of rest; it’s a life of rest.

The Way of Abiding

Think of a pot of gumbo simmering on the stove. The best flavor doesn’t come from rushing it — it comes from time. Heat. Waiting. Letting all the ingredients soak together until something new forms.

That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Abide in Me.”
To abide is to marinate — to stay in His presence long enough for His heart to flavor yours.

Our culture celebrates instant results, but Kingdom life grows slow and deep. It’s not about producing fruit; it’s about growing roots. Fruit happens when roots remain.

And that’s the invitation today: to stop living like you’re trying to finish something for God and instead walk with Him in ongoing union — the kind of unbroken fellowship Jesus Himself enjoyed with the Father.

The Barriers to Union

But as we walk this journey, we must also notice what pulls us away — not because of shame, but because those things dull our awareness of His presence.

The New Testament’s calls to purity aren’t about earning forgiveness; they’re about protecting fellowship. Compromise, distraction, and “friendship with the world” (James 4:4) make it harder to perceive His nearness.

When our hearts drift into divided affections, we end up living longing for more but experiencing less. Jesus hasn’t moved — but we’ve wandered.

Union deepens through surrender, not striving. Through quiet, not noise. Through consecration, not compromise.

The Invitation

Every saint who has gone before us, as Thomas Merton wrote, had to swim against the prevailing current of the world to abide in Christ. That’s the call — not to escape the world, but to move differently within it.

So, where is Jesus inviting you today?
Not to do more for Him, but to be more with Him.
Not to master your faith, but to marinate in His love.

Take a walk. Sit in silence. Open the Word slowly.
Let the Holy Spirit whisper again —

“Follow Me...”