Jesus said in John 15:4,5, “Remain/abide in me, as I also remain/abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain /abide in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain/abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Here is one secret to bear lasting fruit – we need to abide in Jesus as He abides in our Father. When we are rooted in the vine as branches, we are dependent upon the main vine for nourishment. We must use the SAME sap, and water that the main vine absorbs. It is not possible to absorb anything else EXCEPT that which the Vine supplies.
Holy Spirit opened my eyes to verse 7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” So many Christians think that Jesus will do ANYTHING they ask Him to do for them. If we live in the Vine, then we cannot wish for anything else except what the Vine offers…this is a vital spiritual principle to remember. So often we want what we want and think that if we come to church, read our Bibles, and pray, that we are okay, that Jesus will answer all our prayers, but it is not so – abiding in the Vine means needing ONLY what the Vine provides. When we abide and live in the Vine, Lord Jesus, then we have NO other option but to want what HE wants, to do HIS will and not ours.
What does is mean to ABIDE in Jesus? Psalm 91:1-4 relates this -> “He who dwells/abides in the secret place of the most High shall abide/stay under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He will deliver you from the fowler’s snare, [trap] and from the deadly plague. He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart/protection.” AMP says, “He who abides in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].”
Father Lord God, thank You that we are the branches of the chief Vine – You and Your love. Thank You that You teach me to produce fruit in line with what You desire for me to produce, that Your Will for me can become my will. I want only what You want for my life so that my life can be sweetly productive and useful for Your Kingdom and Your glory, Amen.
Myrtle Turunen