Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Jesus ~ The True Vine

Hello dear friends!
Take a moment with me, grab a cup of your favorite hot drink,
maybe even a cookie or two 
relax, and drink in the goodness found in God's Word.

**~~~**

My husband has enjoyed a small garden over the past three years
but unfortunately where we live, up in the high country,
not much will grow due to the short season.
Our success has been potatoes,
and I must admit that they have been quite enjoyable to grow,
especially when the time comes to digging them up.
With pitch fork in hand, we make our way to the garden
looking for buried treasure. 


This year he tried growing zucchini, and as we all know,
zucchini will grow just about anywhere! 
We learned something beautiful as our zucchini began to blossom.
The flower or bloom is on one end of the zucchini
while the other end of the zucchini is connected to the plant.
But what was enjoyable to watch day after day
was that blooming flower.
At certain times of the day that flower would open big and wide
in all it's splendor and beauty, but then, it would
close tightly before the day would come to an end. 

**~~~**
The amazing thing was how that flower closed,
it was like a cloth being rung out tightly,
twisted you might say, and ever so tight!
Once the zucchini would get large in size
the flower would die off but the zucchini would remain connected to the 
plant until we would cut it off from it's growing source, the plant.


I couldn't help but think of the Scriptures where Jesus talks of being the Vine
and we are the branches, and how we are to "abide" in Christ.
Our zucchini is weak and useless and will not grow
without the plant that it is connected to.
It will not produce it's own life,
 it must draw it's life from the plant. 
That is the way it is with us and Christ.
We must draw life from the Vine.
It is our communion with Christ through the Spirit 
that makes possible the bearing of fruit.


John chapter 15 speaks to us about Jesus being the True vine ~
I would recommend  reading the whole chapter ~ but I'd like
to focus on verses 4&5 .
~~~
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the Vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit,
for without me ye can do nothing."

**~~~**

To "abide" means to keep in fellowship with Christ
so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit.
How beautiful is this picture...we can be glorious women,
in sweet fellowship, bearing good ~ not rotten ~ fruit. 
We must let nothing hinder us from this precious communion with Christ.
Verse 3 tells us to be "clean through the Word which Christ
has spoken to us." We are to be washed and holy, confessing our sin.


This precious communion also involves obeying Christ because we love Him.
In verse 9&10 Jesus tells us "as the Father hath loved me,
so have I loved you, continue ye in my love.
If  ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love,
even as I have kept my Father's commandments,
and abide in his love."
WOW! That is to the point!
I did some cross referencing and look what 1 John 2:3-6 has for us.
~~~
"Now by this we know that we know Him,
if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him"
and does not keep His commandments, is a lier, and the truth
is not in him. But whosoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God
is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked."

**~~~**

The test of "knowing" Him ~ To know God does not depend on our good works
but instead demonstrated by them.
When believers are born into God's family, they are united with Him
in an eternal relationship that cannot be broken ~ praise the Lord!
But fellowship with God, however ~ communion with Him ~ can 
be disrupted by our sin.
Obedience is a sign of relationship and fellowship with Him.
~~~
We demonstrate our love for God with life service not just lip service,
and our desire should be to do what God has said in His word.
Verse 6 ~ obedience ~ Jesus "walked" in total dependence
upon His Father, and He was fully submissive to God's will.
We too, should walk as Christ walked.
May we graciously walk and seek God with our whole heart,
for there is joy and blessing in following in Christ's footsteps.


Oh the wonderful love of our Jesus!
We have a living relationship to Christ and belong to Him ~ But our
relationship must be cultivated, it does not come automatically.
~ It would be glorious if it did ~ but it does not.
Abiding in Christ demands worship ~ meditation on God's Word ~
prayer ~ sacrifice and service ~ but what a joyful experience it is!
~~~
Oh ladies ~ once we have begun to cultivate a deeper communion
with Christ, we will have no desire to live a shallow life as a Christian.

**~~~**

"And he that sent me is with me;
the Father hath not left me alone;
for I do always those things that please Him."
(John 8:29)
What a beautiful verse we can claim for our own lives.
Even Jesus did those things which PLEASED His father.
May we follow after Him in our walk of faith.
Does your heart long for and desire to do those things which please God?


"God is faithful"
Our Precious Heavenly Father,
we have a future hope because we know You are faithful to Your promises.
As we seek to follow after You, 
we humbly ask that You would draw us ever so close to Your side.
Teach us through Your Word and Spirit
to live graciously as we abide in You.
Amen. 
 
 Be Gracious
~ Debbie ~ 

I am joining Stephanie's party at
Roses of Inspiration 

30 comments:

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

I so enjoyed your wonderful wisdom this morning, dear Debbie, and the comparison of a growing zucchini and the scripture that you shared. John's verses certainly tie into the comparison so well. I especially enjoyed your heartfelt prayer at the end of your post. Love and blessings are sent to you.

Linda said...

Dearest Debbie, I have never had a garden, but a good friend of mine who lives just a couple of blocks away from me...her husband is a gardener, and they have a lovely garden. They have been giving me some beautiful things (and delicious, too), from their bountiful garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and for myself there is nothing more scrumptious than a fresh garden tomato!

It is good about your zucchini and potatoes! And, as always, I am walking away from your blog feeling happy and rejuvenated...and encouraged. Thank you so much. God bless you.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Thank you for this uplifting and encouraging post with beautiful photos.

Have a lovely week ~ FlowerLady

Sylvia said...

You have explained 'living in Christ' so wonderful, Debbie, that anyone can understand. I love how you use the photo's to match up with with the verses. I so get a blessing from all your post. Thanks for sharing this with us today!
Hugs,Sylvia

Celestina Marie said...

Dearest Debbie, What a beautiful way to start this first day of September. Your words are God sent right to my heart. Thank you for your ending prayer to a wonderful lesson. I praise God this day in all his blessings. This day 15 years ago Sept.1st,2000 my mother passed away to live forever in her heavenly home. Oh how I miss her, but rejoice in the knowing she is at peace in God's arms.
Wishing you a wonderful September!
Love to you my friend, CM

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Again Debbie, Meant to say, Love your garden pics!! XO

Debby Ray said...

Oh Debbie...what a wonderful post! First of all, I absolutely LOVE zucchini and your photos are just glorious! They are so healthy looking and the blooms are so beautiful. The message here is just so true. We really do need to stay connected the Jesus, the True Vine if we want to live a fruitful life. I admit that I fail miserably on some days but it is the true desire of my heart to do so! Thank you for this lovely post and great reminder. Happy Tuesday, friend!

CherylQuilts said...

Oh, Debbie, what a beautiful post, not only of the zucchini blooms, but also the comparison of how we are called to abide in Christ, our life vine! Your photos also reinforce in a visual way the truth of His Word. Praise God! Sending hugs, Cheryl

Marilyn Mathis said...

Such lovely pictures and the comparison of our abiding in Christ to the zucchini plant is so appropriate. I especially liked the words, "We must draw life from the Vine. It is our communion with Christ through the Spirit
that makes possible the bearing of fruit." Surely we can do nothing without the Holy Spirit working through us. Your posts are always filled with such beauty and inspiring words. Thank you for the blessing you are to my life. Hugs!

Joyful said...

Beautiful scripture lesson Debbie. You also have such wonderful photos from the garden. Doesn't the zucchini plant have such a beautiful flower? Have a super week my dear. xx

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Hello, sweet Debbie, I so enjoyed reading these uplifting scriptures and seeing your lovely photos. I agree, our faith is like a garden that needs constant nurturing to bear fruit. Sending you blessings and hugs, my dear. xo Karen

Jeanna said...

Lovely post and inspiration dear Debbie. I look forward to reading all of John Chapter 15 and sharing your blog post with my husband.

Have a blessed week!

Denise said...

your blog is so refreshing, bless you. I love you.

Lady Linda said...

Dear Debbie, thank you for your kind words. Last week was very difficult with my daughter and keeping my little Otto. I am thanking our Lord for her healing and relief from the severe pain.
You blog post is food for thought, as always. Thank you for such deep posts.
Hugs

Linda Walker said...

Dear Debbie,
What a writer you are! Your ability to draw analogies is incredible! I really enjoyed this post and it is particularly uplifting....thank you! Also, beautiful photos and some beautiful music, another favorite piece that I played at a recital. I think you are using my recital repertoire as your playlist! Take care,
xo
Linda

Stephanie said...

Good evening, mom! It's raining here right now and I wonder if it's raining there as well? The little one turned on the cooler and it's bringing in the scent of sweet rain...it smells so delightful and refreshing :)

Your post was truly beautiful, in words and photos. You know how to bless the hearts of many and once again you blessed mine.

Thank you for sharing your loveliness with Roses of Inspiration. Love you!

marygems said...

This is one of the most beautiful posts I've read in ages....LOVED it...thank you. So glad to discover your blog the other day.

God BLESS you in your ministry of encouraging others.

Mar. New Zealand.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

No connection to the seed, the root, no life. I wish everyone could understand that.....

Good morning dearest Debbie!

J said...

What a lovely way to begin the day! You carefully wove a beautiful path through God's expectations and rewards. He is always there to guide us; one only needs to ask!

Cheryl said...

Praise the dear Lord! What beautiful thoughts! I was so encouraged by your words today, sweet friend. So grateful to God for the sweet, daily communion I have with Him, and for the preciousness of staying attached to the Vine. He is my life source, that's for sure. I leave here refreshed in spirit. Sending you much love and many hugs!

Sue said...

Thank you so much for the encouragement, Debbie, what a blessing you are!
Sue

Cranberry Morning said...

Debbie, this is a beautiful analogy of our life in Christ and his Spirit! I pray daily for the Spirit to work in my heart and mind, living out Jesus to the world. It is amazing that God uses sinful people like me to accomplish his purposes. Staying connected to the Vine. Many blessings.

Debbie Harris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ginny said...

Debbie, this was the most beautiful posting! I have not been on blogs for a while, but when I do, I am always amazed and blessed by your writing. We have been going through some tough times here. My sister, Mary, was diagnosed with colon cancer, having surgery on the 16th, and my good friend's daughter, Katie who is 36 was diagnosed with irreversible kidney failure. My husband and I are both retired and are having a tough time making ends meet. We never seemed to recover from lost jobs. Such darkness and pain! I am always lifted here, with the beautiful music and encouraging words. Thank you so much for that! Ginny

living from glory to glory said...

Hello, What a precious lesson and pictures to help with the abiding and the safety and blessing we have in Him... I do think God has given us so many lessons in His creation to show us how easy and natural it is to rest and abide. It is the watering and weeding... I was just saying to a friend last night that we need to keep in repentance to keep our fellowship open and strong! I love what you write and so glad you have a blog to come and visit as often as I can. These days seem to be a bit busy. May you and yours have a lovely September, with a great harvest!
Hugs, Roxy xo

Robyn said...

Dearest Debbie,

I'm always so happy when I see a notice in my email box that you have written something new and I try to ensure that I will have time alone to enjoy it and savor it and respond to it the way it deserves.
I'm so glad I do because each and every time, your words and wisdom truly moves me to tears. I very much need these reminders in my life and think upon how I wish to conduct myself.
So often, we live reactionary lives and I have worked hard not to do that but instead to take in all that is around me and demonstrate true understanding.
You make a difference, Debbie. Thank you! Much love to you, my friend. xoxo

Net - "It's a Wonderful Movie" said...

I loved how you compared our spiritual growth to the vine. Those words of wisdom are so true. He truly supplies all of our needs!

Gods blessings to you! Net

http://itsawonderfulmovie.blogspot.com

Net - "It's a Wonderful Movie" said...

Thank you for stopping by my site Debbie and following me! I just wanted to say how much I appreciate it. I was already following your daughters blog and found your site through hers!

Also, when I visited before, my speaker must have been off, but upon my return just now I was welcomed with such beautiful heavenly sounding music.

Your blog is such an inspiration to me! I am honored to follow you, too! God's Blessings, Net

Mindy said...

God continues to teach me so many spiritual lessons through the act of gardening. We harvested a large basket of potatoes ourselves this year and have been eating (and love!) many zucchini dishes and baked goods. Have a wonderful weekend.

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Yes, another beautiful post!! And i forgot to mention that I am now following you!! Thanks so much for following me!!

Hugs,
Deb

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