Remain

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me, you can do nothing.

(John 15:5 NIV)

As a branch becomes severed from a tree, it dies. The leaves wither, and the wood rots because it’s no longer connected to its life-giving source. This illustration from nature reminds us of spiritual truth. Jesus is our life-giving vine. We must remain connected to Him to produce spiritual fruit. We can do nothing that is of spiritual value by ourselves. Apart from Him, we are dead.

The greatest hindrance to our peace and victory is the flesh. When we become absorbed in our own troubles, cares, rights, or wrongs, our focus turns to the physical rather than the spiritual. We lost communication with God. It’s as if we’ve severed ourselves from the vine. A cloud of darkness falls over our spirit. There is nothing we can do to remove it. But praise be to God! He can and will restore our relationship with Jesus if only we ask it. It is all in the asking! Return to the life-giving vine!