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