Just Be a Branch

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

In our discussion of abiding in Christ in my Bible study class, I was asked what abide means to me.  Abiding in Christ, the vine, means to me that we rest in Him, and lean against His strength. He wraps His loving arms around us, and we are filled with His love. Then we can become the conduit that passes life and love from God, the vinedresser, through Jesus to others. We permit that vital life- giving salvation to flow from Christ to nonbelievers. Then we as the branches are able to produce abundant fruit. We can demonstrate the love of Jesus as it encircles our hearts and spread it to the lost.

Only if we are joined to our Lord and Master can we produce that fruit. Ii is the singular purpose of the branch; to bear fruit.  My pastor illustrated this perfectly when he told us how he broke a grapevine his mother had told him not to touch. He stuffed the branch in with the other branches. He thought no one would know, but It soon turned brown and withered away. If we are not joined with Jesus and do not seek His purpose, we will not produce abundant fruit.   If we do not depend on Him, we will lose our ability to be an integral part of God’s plan. I know I do not always wait patiently for Christ to work in my life. I want to give God permission to show me where I am lacking so that I may confess my sins Then I can be a fully, functional producer of fruit for His kingdom.

As a branch, I pray I will permit God to prune me into a fruit- bearing vital soul winner.  By submitting to God’s strength flowing through me, I can become more like Jesus. Let me be loving, forgiving, faithful, and kind as you are, Lord. May I be a branch that holds tight to you and produces fruit while being in total and absolute dependence on You and your Word.

Jesus provides the sap, strength, and life to us as the branches. Let’s look today at our lives and beg God to renew our craving to be the kind of branch who abides in and is used totally by Christ for His purpose.