(John 15:1) “Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”
(John 15:4-5) “Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.”
(Colossians 1:16-17) For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together.
Who is your source of strength? Who is your source of hope, wisdom, purpose, or even inspiration? Everything we know and what makes up our personality is completely based on our five senses and our surrounding environment. The way you talk, the things you say, the accent you have, and your drive to fight and accomplish things in life all come from a source. These traits might be good or bad depending on the source.
Jesus makes some important points here regarding our source of life. First, He lets us know that there is a TRUE vine, Himself, therefore there has to be a FALSE one. Second, we are not the vine, but rather branches that need to be grafted into the vine in order to live. Third, we cannot bear any fruit, or be productive, unless we live in the vine and it lives within us. And finally, we are informed that we were created by Him and for Him, not for our own purpose or desires.
Only when we are grafted in Jesus will we be able to achieve great things and produce in abundance. When we are in constant communication with Him, depending on Him, asking Him for guidance and permission, and obeying Him, is when we are truly connected to Him. You have to become completely useless without Him.
Keeping this in mind, if you are fruitful, successful, always busy, famous, and full of knowledge, but not connected to Jesus, then you are probably connected to the wrong source, and your end will not be a profitable one. However, He does take all your efforts and fruits and uses them to bless His people and take care of the ones in need. So take a step back, and connect to the TRUE vine.
All you ever did or achieved separated from the vine or on your own is counted as nothing in the eyes of God regarding your righteousness.
Prayers
• Heavenly Father, You are the God of the spirits of all flesh. My God and my King. God of riches, of the increase and the one that supplies every need.
• We thank You, Jesus, that You are the source of all life and that all things were created for You and through You.
• Forgive us for having ignored You for so long. We have depended on our own strength and wisdom, putting aside Your counsel.
• Forgive us for wanting to please the world instead of finding our purpose in You.
• We ask You to connect us to the True vine today and allow us to start bearing much fruit for eternity.
• Help us to learn to tap into that supernatural source of life that created all things. And to stay constant and connected.
• We declare that we abide in Jesus and that He abides in us. We are now one with Him and will start to bear much fruit and everyone will start to see a change.
• In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.