Scripture

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.”

Observation

Jesus is the true vine. The Father is the gardener who prunes the vine, cutting off the fruitless and pruning the fruitful branches so they produce even more fruit.

To do anything, we must remain in the vine. Without Jesus we can do nothing. If we do not remain in Him, we will be thrown away. But if we remain in Him, we can ask for anything, and it will be granted to us.

We must remain in Jesus’ love. Then our joy will overflow.

Application

Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches. Our ability to bear fruit for Him depends on our commitment to Christ. We must remain in Him.

What does it mean to remain in Him? I think this is about an abiding relationship. We pursue Him in order to be with Him, not for what He can do for us. We seek to go deeper in Him because we love Him. We bring Him into every facet of our lives, because He is the source of our life.

When we abide in Christ, we do not have to strive to bear fruit for Him. A grape vine does not worry about how to make grapes. This is in its nature.

Our Father is the gardener. When He sees that something is awry in our lives, He proceeds to fix it. We are not responsible for it all.

When I surrender my heart to the Lord, I give Him permission to take out of my life everything that hinders the relationship. This is called pruning, and sometimes it hurts. We trust that He knows what He is doing, and that He will make us fruitful.

Prayer

Lord Jesus please help me stay deeply connected to you. Help me to remain in you and to trust you fr every step in my life. Amen.