Key Scripture:
John 15:4b. … As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. –NKJ
Key Idea:
There is but one way for the branch to bear fruit, there is no other possibility, it must abide in unbroken communion with the vine.
— Murray
Pray for revelation:
Abide in Me. I have heard, my Lord, that with every command, Thou also givest the power to obey. With Thy “rise and walk,” the lame man leaped, I accept Thy word, “Abide in me,” as a word of power, that gives power, and even now I say, Yea, Lord, I will, I do abide in Thee.
— Murray
Key words:
Cannot,
Neither,
Unless.
What? A devotional on such negative ideas? People tend to think of religion in general as a bunch of negatives. Don’t do that, you can’t do this, give up all the things you like to do. That isn’t the true desire of God though.
He wants us to abide. He wants us to live an abundant life. He wants us to produce not just a little fruit, but lots of it. How can we do this?
Branches bear fruit because of one key thing, they continuously keep on staying attached to the vine. They keep on being one with the vine. The only way a branch, or we as real people, can not be fruitful is to choose to not be attached, and at one with Jesus.
Being a productive branch is a good thing. A branch still needs the vine. There is no special thing to do, no excersizes, no mental acrobatics, just keep abiding. Stay attached. Negative things like, can’t stay attached, or don’t stay attached, get in the way of a fruitful life.
Your fruits are not what you did, but what the vine has done through you.
Remove all the negatives of worldly desires that would cut us off from abiding, and all you have left is the positives. Branches bearing fruit. People living abundant lives in Jesus.