John 15
Rebecca Lightfoot
Life is going to b challenged by things coming at us from all directions!And if we have put a stake n the ground claiming to b seekers&followers of Christ,many of those challenges will b aimed at shaking our stake n the ground loose...loose enough that the stake of our life may ripped away & planted far from where our heart had previously desired when we “felt like” seeking&following Christ.Jesus talks about this n John15:1-11,when he equates our lives to branches that have been cut from a vine they once received nutrients from,& grafted to The Vine that is the source of everlasting nutrients/life,The Vine that yields everlasting joy!The first vine will eventually whither and die.The other vine,The Vine,will never whither...& it will never die!The first vine desires us to b nothing more than what the world can provide,since the world is where this vine gets its nutrients.The other vine/THE VINE is Jesus!Jesus desires us to become much different from the world...much MORE than the world can offer!And since He is God,He is Eternal & He has ALL THE POWER/WISDOM/MERCY/GRACE&LOVE(all the “nutrients”)we need to become something unique from what the world could ever offer,& live forever in The Vine!As the challenges come that threaten to rip us from The Vine/from our grafting into The Vine,Jesus says that we must ABIDE in Him...we must b deliberate n our ABIDING!Jesus says,”I am The Vine,u r the branches.Whoever abides n me & I n him,he is it that bears much fruit,for apart from me u can do nothing”Jn15:5).N other words,we must hang on to/DWELL IN(abide n) The Vine and HIS NUTRIENTS!Then Jesus tells how this abiding is accomplished n our life->”If you abide n me,& my words abide n you..”(Jn15:7a),&”If u keep my commitments(wisdom/discernment/guidance/instruction,etc.),u will abide n my love(Jn15:10a).And THIS ABIDING will change our thoughts & our desires from those that will whither and die,n2 those that will thrive & live forever->what we wish for changes 2 b what God only knows r the best wishes(Jn15:7b,”ask 4 whatever u wish(only the eternally best wishes will become what our hearts yearn for-The BEST FRUIT that never rots & never loses its vibrant taste) & it will b done for u”.)Jesus promises that if we hang on to/abide n His Word(seek to know & follow what He counsels through the Bible and through His Spirit),we will have His joy/the ONLY JOY that can truly satisfy/make us full(Jn15:11,”These things I have spoken 2 u,that my joy may b n u,& that ur joy may b full”.).Dear Lord,I praise YOU for grafting my life n2 YOUR PROMISES,and YOUR JOY that never fades & never dies!I also pray for YOUR HELP to abide n YOU as the challenges of this day and all days try to tear me away from YOU.