…the True Vine

Hello my friend and welcome to another moment with the Great “I AM”—Jesus!

I have a trellis in my backyard that is covered in grapevines. Every fall, I get to harvest these beautiful and amazing grapes and I am so grateful for God’s provision.They taste amazing...as long as I am willing to do the work of pruning and care!

This past week, I was pruning the vines. Pruning seems like a cruel process as you cut back the branches, but it’s essential if you want the energy of the main vine to go into the fruit and not into the branches. I cut away with a high degree of passion. I love that process, but I can’t say the same for the branches.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:1-5, NIV) 

As I wiped the sweat away from my forehead, I started thinking about the branches that were lying in a pile at my feet. In truth, they still looked alive. They were green and had the appearance of vitality. What I knew is that in just a few short hours, they would begin to wither and lose their appearance because they were no longer connected to the main vine. Their life source had been cut off. 

I also thought that, even if that severed branch had every intention of still growing fruit later in the year, this would be impossible because the branch had left the vine. Without that deep connection to the main vine, these branches could do absolutely nothing.

friend, what do you need to willingly cut out of your life that would allow you to produce greater spiritual fruit? Can I tell you what I am removing from my life right now?  It’s HURRY. I have found that the velocity at which I was doing God’s work (I am a pastor), was actually destroying the work God wanted to do in me. I realized that I needed to slow down because if the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy! 

I made an intentional decision to slow down, to pause and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal the pace He wants me to go, to breathe in the goodness of God and to allow nothing to cut me off from the true Vine, my Lord and Savior Jesus.

friend, let me remind you again of what Jesus said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ‘am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’”  (John 15:1-5, NIV) 

When we remain...abide...stay connected...rest...continue the conversation...focus on being one with Jesus, our lives take on a more relaxed pace that will absolutely bring about a harvest of miracles!

Would you allow me the honor of praying for this in your life right now?

Jesus, thank You for friend.  I pray that they would stay connected to You every moment of every day. God, help them to invite You to prune away anything in their life that is not from YOU. May they eliminate “hurry” from their life so that they can rest easy with the True Vine. We thank You for being our Sustainer and our Life. Amen.

Never forget my friend...

You are a miracle!