Key Verse:

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

— John 15:10

Rooted Truth

In a world that often views obedience as burdensome or restrictive, Jesus paints a different picture. In John 15, He connects obedience with love, and love with abiding. He’s not demanding mechanical performance—He’s inviting us into relational alignment.

Obedience is not about earning God’s favor—it’s about living from it. When we keep His commands, we’re choosing to trust His heart, His wisdom, and His timing. And as we walk in His ways, we remain in the flow of His love and joy.

This kind of obedience doesn’t crush us—it completes us. Jesus says in the very next verse, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). Obedience isn’t the enemy of joy—it’s the doorway to it.

Faith Story

Elisabeth Elliot, who continued ministering to the tribe that killed her husband, once said:

“When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him.”

Her life was marked by obedience, even in the midst of grief and uncertainty. And through it, she discovered not only strength, but deep, sustaining joy. That’s the kind of joy Jesus promises—the kind that comes from abiding through surrendered obedience.

Scriptures for Deeper Roots

John 15:10 – Obedience and abiding in love

John 14:23 – If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word

1 John 5:3 – His commands are not burdensome

Psalm 119:32 – I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free

Daily Practice

Ask yourself today:

“Is there anything God has asked of me that I’ve been avoiding?”

It could be forgiving someone, confessing a sin, surrendering control, or stepping out in faith.

Write it down. Then, take one step of obedient action—not out of fear, but out of love.

And after you obey, notice the peace and joy that follow.

Daily Prayer

Father, help me see obedience not as duty, but as delight. Your commands are life-giving, not life-stealing. Teach me to walk in Your ways with a surrendered heart. Let my obedience be fueled by love, not pressure—by relationship, not religion. I want to abide in You, and I know that means trusting what You’ve spoken.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Deep Reflection

What command of Christ have you struggled to obey fully or joyfully?

How does your view of obedience change when it’s connected to love rather than legalism?

What’s one area where obedience could open the door to deeper joy?

#DeeplyRooted #DailyRenewed

Devotions for a Grounded and Growing Faith