Are you blossoming in the sunshine of life today or withering on the vine? It all depends on what we cling to, where we choose to abide. Let us choose to abide In Christ today, and find His light, His Joy, His perfect Peace.
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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 – NIV
Nestled against an old split rail fence, the remnants of last year’s clematis vine still clings to its makeshift trellis. Last Spring, the vine was beautiful showcasing gorgeous lavender flowers. Now the old wood still hangs there, a reminder of what once was, but also a promise of what is to come.
You see, in due time, the new growth will emerge from the old, creeping along the old vine until it is ready to produce its beautiful blossoms. The new growth depends on the old, drawing strength from its presence. Without the old to cling to, the new growth would be lost, its beauty destroyed.
There is a life lesson in that tender vine. You and I cannot grow without proper nourishment. Our vines are fragile, subject to errant paths, in constant danger of destruction. Easily overwhelmed by the flooding rains, we hide beneath the soil, afraid of what is to come. Tossed about by the blustering winds, our tiny tendrils search for stability, for something solid to cling to.
The trials of this life beat us down, sapping our energy, destroying our joyful blooms. Without the old wood to cling to, we will wither under the weight of our concerns.
But you and I are not alone. We have Christ to cling to during the storms of life.
Jesus said that He is the vine, and we are the branches. When we stay attached to the vine, we find our strength, our sustenance, our purpose. He is our stronghold against the whipping winds. He is our refuge from the deluge of concerns that threaten to wash us away. We can rest on His solid wood, drawing strength from His unfailing love.
When we cling to Christ, we are nourished and ready to bear good fruit. Without him, our lives are fruitless, devoid of joy, lacking in peace. We cannot be who He created us to be, apart from Him. We cannot do the good work He planned for us without the sustenance of His abiding presence in our hearts.
The wood of that old split rail fence has rotted out. No longer useful, it must be taken down and destroyed. In contrast, that fifty year old clematis lives on, clinging to the old wood for support, bringing forth new growth that will yield a precious bloom in the days to come.
How will we choose to live? Will we waste away in selfish pursuits until our wood rots away and we are destroyed? Or will we cling to the solid vine of Christ, nourished and secure, growing strong and bearing fruit?
Friends, let us cling to Christ. May we abide in Him that He might abide in us. Then surely, we will bear good fruit in the days to come.
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4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
John 15:4 – ESV
PRAYER
O Jesus, You are the Vine and we are the branches. We long to bear good fruit, but we cannot do it apart from You. Our tendrils are fragile, our grasp sometimes tentative. O Lord, grant us the tenacity to cling to Your vine, to abide in You that You might abide in us. Help us cling to You, that we might bear the good fruit You will plant within us.
Faith Beyond Sight 