John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me.
I had already planned this blog when something extraordinary happened Sunday morning. And, I felt like I needed to talk about it here for just a moment.
I was praying before church Sunday morning when a dam of grief broke loose in me. Grief, so fluid and hot that I had no idea if I could stem it.
Grief for a life that is lost to me now. Grief because in one moment everything I knew was effectively killed. Grief that I lost my career, my dreams for my future, my health, my means of transportation, my ability to care for myself, these and so many other things crashed around me with the crunch of metal, the shattering of bones and glass, the rupturing of muscles, the tearing of bowels.
I don’t want anyone to think for one instance this is the beginning of some grand pity party. How on earth could I after all He has done for me?
But, although I had shed random tears during my recovery, never once had I been able to tap into the realization of how many things had changed. Not until that moment when I was praying for some other circumstances and my inability to rectify them, when the weight of it rolled through my spirit coming out in wails that had many crying with me without even knowing why.
My life has changed but there is such a sweetness here on this side of it all. That sweetness comes from trusting Him with all of my circumstances.
John 15:1-2 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bearers not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Jesus declared here He was the “I am” for the last time. He states He is the “true” or genuine vine and His Father is the “husbandman” or vinedresser (from the Premier Study Bible).
Pruning is done to us spiritually as we are attached to the vine. When a vinedresser begins to prune during pruning season, they look at the previous year and how the vine performed during that time. Was the yield (of fruit) as expected? Did the fruit have the protection it needed to grow? Did the branch grow enough to protect the fruit from the summer heat and provide enough cover to allow the fruit to ripen?
Another factor before pruning begins is to make sure the vine is in its dormant season and there are no longer any green shoots that would indicate the vine is still actively photosynthisizing.
Only the vinemaster would understand where to prune. Pruning in the wrong place, at the wrong time would damage the vine and inhibit the production of fruit. And, as they are pruned, the dead branches are disposed of either by making them compost to fertilize the existing vines or by burning the dead branches. They will never again produce fruit as they have been severed from the vine.
Once the vine comes out of this period of dormancy, leaving behind the winter season, it is ready to, once again, produce fruit.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me.
Abide: to stay, continue, remain. To be present, be held and kept, or to live with.
Greek=meno - to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy) - abide, dwell, ENDURE, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for). The relational element of abiding is still there, but as part of the concept of “staying.”
Hebrew=yashab - same as English but includes concepts of interpersonal relationships about being in a shared space, habitations, haunt, inhabit, make to inhabit, make to keep house, lurking, marry or marrying.
ABIDE IN ME was His request.
Stay in ME, remain in ME, make your life with ME.
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meakness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have CRUCIFIED the flesh with affections and lusts.
Ephesians 5:8-10 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the LORD: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
These verses can lead some who do not adequately study the Word of God to think that if they are a nice person they have these fruits. But, if you look at these verses again you will see that is not the case.
We are to crucify our flesh with its desires that are contrary to the Word of God. We are to rid ourselves of those “affections” for the things of the world. We are no more DARKNESS but we are now light and we are called to walk in that light. Because, it is these fruits that are apparent in our lives that prove “what is acceptable” to Him.
When others look at our lives or interact with us, they should see what is “acceptable” to Him. Not, that WE accepted HIM, but that He has accepted us as indicated by our fruits.
And, because we are producing fruits we have been through the pruning season.
On November 13, 2023, the Lord began to prune me, cutting away the dead places in my life so that once my dormant period was passed, I could, once again, begin to bear fruit.
And, just like with any type of grief, as the numbness of the cutting away began to disappear, the raw, hurt places were finally revealed. Those places of hurt, of loss, of “death” have brought me to a new place of life.
The fruit produced in this season will be sweeter than before all because I stayed with Him and He stayed with me.
He was there. He held me. He kept me. And I clung to Him knowing He had a plan in this season. He didn’t do any of this for my destruction.
This is absolutely my favorite verse. I love this verse in the Message’s translation although I only use this translation for study. But, it is so beautiful here.
Jeremiah 29:10-11 This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
The future “I” hope for.
The future.
MY future.
How do I grow, how do I prosper during this time?
I abide.
When it’s hard, I abide.
When temptation comes, I abide.
When the flesh rises up, I abide.
When I’m lonely, I abide.
When I feel afraid, I abide.
I stay.
I stay with the One who holds my future. I don’t throw my future away. I abide with Him.
Are you feeling the weight of winter on your soul? Have you been looking for answers in the world only to feel more and more dead inside?
The I AM is calling, He is ready to prune all the dead, and useless things from your life. He is waiting to rid you of the weight that is holding you down and keeping you from growth.
Don’t be afraid of the pruning at the hand of the Master as He is preparing your life for things you could never imagine.
The world will tell you you are free as you are, but He will show you true freedom and true growth.
He is waiting to ABIDE in your life.
I will continue this series in John soon as we delve further into the Last Supper.
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