It’s funny how God works sometimes. Here I’ve been concentrating on planting my fertile ground with God’s Word, looking for ‘good’ Scriptures to speak and meditate on each day, and I picked up a book I had begun reading months ago, by Stormie Omartian, called The Power of a Praying Woman, and I opened it to a chapter about Jesus being the true Vine.
John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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 ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing.”
I know that now. I can not do a dern thing without God. He’s given me my very breath! I thanked Him today for creating me. He gave me life. He brought my parents together.
Psalm 139:16-17 “16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!”
John 15:6-8 “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
Stormie brought out a very good point. She said we’d bear the fruit of the spirit if we abide in Jesus. Have you ever wondered what fruit we’d bear? Well, it makes sense that we’d bear the fruit of the spirit, because if we’re abiding in Him and He’s in us, and we’re grafted on His vine, then His sap (His spirit) is flowing through us, so we’ll be growing the fruit of His spirit!
Galatians 5:22-23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
John 15:9-11 “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
In verse eleven we see where our joy comes from. It’s from remaining in Christ Jesus. Meditating on God’s Word and seeking Him through His Word. He gives us His joy, and it’s not dependent on anything earthly. It’s within us, even if we’re hurting because we are missing a loved one. His joy helps us carry on. His joy gives us peace.
And here is His commandment.
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
And here is a gem: Proverbs 19:23 “23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.”
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