See to It That Your Branch is Attached to the Vine

Until the past week my blog had been silent for one year and five days. I could not find the time to sit down and put my thoughts together, create an outline and focus the time and attention to getting the writing done. Last week I felt so strongly that I needed to pick up the pen (or computer, as it may be) and just do it….find the time, energy, motivation and tap into my main Source. 

That first blog coming back sort of wrote itself in a very short time frame. It came straight from the heart. I don’t know that a lot of it was run through the mind, it was purely from the heart. When I sat down to write the next one I had a definite message about truth, and it was very short. 

So, now we were on number three in three days.  I knew I had about a 30 to 40 minute window before I would have things I would have to get up and do. I tried to figure out where to start. 

I had just finished verse mapping a scripture that a friend sent me. I looked at it and thought, “That is a really good scripture to build on.” So I pulled the bones out of that verse map and put some flesh on them. And there I had it—a completed blog, and did it within a window of changing tasks multiple times. Having the outline made it easy for me to set it aside and come back to it without losing my chain of thought multiple times. What a blessing!

It just so happens that I have been doing verse mapping for over three years. So I have a bunch of skeleton bones lying around!  Why is this? Because I was plugging into my Source and seeking to learn from scripture. I had my eyes on the Source and like to think that I was a branch that was firmly attached to the Vine. 

John 15:5 tells us, 

“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.” John 15:5 (KJV)

We must continually seek Christ within our Christian walk.  You can’t come to Christ, put no effort into the relationship and expect it to remain healthy and strong.  We must make sure our root system is strong and that we remain attached to the Vine.  As long as we are attached to the Vine, we will be able to get things done for Christ—or bear fruit.  This is the only way. Because if we are not attached to the Vine we are getting no nourishment, there is no life, no way for us to bear fruit. 

This was important enough for Jesus to share with His disciples as some of His last teaching moments before the cross. Jesus was essentially telling them that He is the sustenance for their growth. But they had to be connected before they could receive His strength. Without that connection to the Vine there is  no life, no way for them to bear fruit. 

I paraphrased John 15:4 in my words so that I could understand it.  “The source of life is Jesus. Our life needs to come from Him. We cannot do it on our own.  The Life (Jesus) is the only way we are able to receive life; and through this Life is the only way we are able to produce fruit to give to others.”

The challenge for all Christ-followers is to stay connected to the Vine.  The world has so many tricks and traps to cut you off from the Vine, to try and separate you from Christ. It is an every day, deliberate decision to remain in the Vine.

My faith is strengthened by knowing that the True Vine has me and will never lose me or drop me. This is one Vine that is completely secure, as long as I get my strength from Him and do not allow myself to become famished and fall away. I have the responsibility there to keep seeking Him each and every day. 

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being that secure Vine that will never let me go. Help me to always have a desire to put You first and do the things that will strengthen my root system that is attached to You. I want strong roots Lord! 

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“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” John 8:31 (KJV)

“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”  Colossians 1:23 (KJV)

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”  Colossians 2:6 (KJV)

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  Jude 1:21 (KJV)

“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”  John 17:23 (KJV)

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What is your relationship to the all-knowing God of the universe?  He is the God that provided us with a strong Vine that will never break or even become weak. Do you know Jesus? He is that Vine…that Vine that will hold you up through the darkest of storms. Do you know the peace that can come only from an intimate relationship with Him?  You can know Him.  Jesus Christ, God’s Son, born into human flesh, sinless, crucified and giving His life freely, buried, arisen on the third day, will come into your life and change the outcome of your eternity.  You just have to be willing to believe and accept His truth.  

Here is an excellent website that can give you additional information about making your decision for Jesus Christ! PeaceWithGod.net

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Blog Image by Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay