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John 15:9-11

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

The Father loves the Son with a perfect love throughout eternity. That is the love that Jesus has for you! The Apostle Paul prayed that we might have the power to grasp how high and long and wide and deep that love is (Ephesians 3:18). How could He love us so? He sees what He is making us into. He sees the church complete as His bride. He sees you conformed into His image, so He perseveres in your transformation. What grace and love to patiently work such material as us and continue working with the hope of such a glorious end.

Do you want Him to continue working on you, staying in that perfect love? You must obey His commands, just as He obeyed His Father's commands and remained in His love. He summed them up by saying that you must love the Lord your God with your all and your neighbor as yourself. That is possible only when we remain in Jesus.

Lest you become discouraged with the impossibility of the task, He told us this so His joy would be in us. He didn't say, "So that you will be joyful." He spoke of giving us His very own joy. That is the joy that sees the end product. That is the joy that knows God is triumphant. It's the joy that sees by faith that all things are working together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Jesus added that our joy would be complete if we remain in His love, topped off and to the rim!

Man seeks happiness in so many things other than His Creator. Happiness is fleeting. It is controlled by circumstances. Joy is a deep abiding reality that circumstances cannot touch. It comes from a secure relationship that is richer and more fulfilling than anything the world has to offer.

Meditation: Do you have His joy? Remain in His love.