I continue to remain on the vine…it’s a good place to be y’all!
John 15: 4
“No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine…”
The simplicity of this statement at time can be lost if I just glance over the words. Often times, especially with very familiar passages I tend to just rush through them, having read them may times feeling sure that I have a thorough understudying of the meaning.
The reality is that scripture really is living and active (HEB 4:12) for it can change from day to day to meet whatever need I may have. One day it will speak to me about one thing and then the next time I find myself there I may receive something completely different.
Lord, help me to never just gloss over Your Word thinking that I have received all you have for me.
This morning verse 4 spoke to me re-reminding me that bearing good fruit requires being connected to the source of all good nourishment. Remaining in God's word provides the connection to the vine. The other reality is that vines that do NOT produce good fruit are cut off. If they are left to remain on the vine they will suck the good and necessary nutrients away from the believer. Areas of my life that may be outside of God’s will, those areas are draining me, weakening me in my connection to the vine. If my desire is to remain on the vine then God must prune back all the areas of my life that are not bearing good fruit.
God’s desire IS for us all to bear good fruit, however bearing good fruit comes with the price of submitting to the sharp pruning shears of the gardener.
The pruning will be painful, and for a season you may feel the pain of the healing process but after the season of pruning come healing! Healing leads to a season of bearing fruit which then lead to the season of a bountiful harvest.
God wants me to bear good fruit, He want us all to bear good fruit for the Kingdom. To maintain that strong connection to the vine we must not allow the worldly influences to drain away our strength, it weakens our connection to the vine when we have one foot in the world. That is the very hardest part. Recognizing those unhealthy influences and taking steps to remove them. It is a defiant process and one that is always in front of us. I recognize areas of my life that need to be pruned away every day and I work towards removing them. At times it can be a very slow and painful process. The grownup and mature thing to do is not always the thing I want to do.
Paul states the truth a whole lot better than I can….
Romans 7:18-20
18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
God wants us all to be connected to the vine, to stay there and abide with Him.
remember
John 15: 4
“No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine…”
Blessing in the Abiding…
R
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