Siblings, in the final analysis, the question remains: ‘If God is with us, are we with God?’ Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
John 15:4 CEB
[4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me.
Emmanuel: God with Us
Scientifically, we know a branch doesn’t remain alive for very long when separated from the main tree or vine, unless it’s being replanted. That’s due to it being dependent on the vine for its sustenance. For, it is the vine that carries water and nutrients from the root to the branches. In looking at the branches on a vine, we’ll notice that don’t all develop at the same time. Some are young shoots with few leaves, while others are sturdier with lots of leaves.
During the harvesting season, we also will note that the more mature branches would carry more fruit. This is influenced by the amount of nutrients, the pruning, the sunlight, etc., to which it is exposed. That holds true for us also. Our fruitfulness is dependent on our spiritual maturity.
Self-Check
How fruitful is our branch? What does the state of our branch reflect about our connectedness to the True Vine?
Application
Sibling, no one can be our proxy to the True Vine, Y’shua Jesus. Each of us is a branch in our own right. We each mature at different paces and bear fruit in due season.
But …
… our maturity and fruitfulness are wholly dependent on our connection to Y’shua. Without Him, without the sunlight of God’s Spirit, we are as a dead branch, for only for being thrown in the fire.
It means that we must maintain that healthy, direct connection to Jesus. We must spend time with The Word (Y’shua) through prayer, and in the Word (the Bible). The more time we spend in those pursuits, the more mature and fruitful we will become. It isn’t, therefore, as much about the quantity of years since we confessed Jesus as our Lord. Rather, it is about the quality of the time we’ve spent with Him, ensuring that we develop into a mature branch.
God is with us. That’s why our salvation is through Jesus Christ, Emmanuel. But Y’shua also desires that we are with Him; wholly souled out for Him as we abide in Him, our True Vine.
Point to Ponder
The choice is ours whether we stay with God, or try to survive in our own strength. What will it be?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
