I Am The True Vine

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4(NIV)

After being away for a week, I returned home to the potted flowers on my porch in desperate need of water. The green had mostly turned yellow and hardly any flowers were blooming, it was not a pretty sight. I really did not think they would come back, but I watered them and they now look beautiful once again.

It never ceases to amaze me how many parallels God has made with nature and us. I am reminded of the Parable of the sower in Matthew 13. A plant cannot thrive without good soil, and the right combination of sunlight, and water. The same is with us in our Christian walk. If we are not planted firmly in all of God's true living word we will wither and become lifeless.

My flowers may have continued to survive without me, with the little rain they get off the porch, but flowers are not meant to look like that. It is just as my mother says, pretty is as pretty does. When I have not taken the time to spend time with my God, I recognize my heart resembling those thirsty flowers. I do not want to merely survive this life with the little rain that trickles down off the porch. I want God to fill my cup and overflow it. I want to produce the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Jesus said if we remain in him he will remain in us. We cannot do anything on our own, why do we so often try? We are connected to the everlasting life source of our Lord Jesus Christ, the true vine. The Father, who is our gardener, may have to painfully prune us at times, but it is only to help us bear even more fruit. Every plant must be taken care of; no branch can bear fruit by itself.

Father, Thank you for being the True Vine and for giving us true life. Help us all to realize real life in you, full of many fruits and much joy.

Sarah Hostetler