LMI's 'A word for your week' devotional taken from John 15:1

‘I am the True vine and my Father is the vinedresser’. - John 15:1

The Lord Jesus is again using a familiar illustration to teach spiritual truth to his disciples.

He has already been preparing them for the time, He will return to heaven and send The Holy Spirit to be their comforter.

John 14:16 ‘And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever’.

Christ is the true vine, He is the one we have fellowship with, as we are joined to Him by saving faith. We cannot abide in Christ if He is not abiding in us. Jesus says ‘I am the vine, you are the branches’. 

God, the vinedresser, does His work in our lives to glorify Himself. The vine branches need to be lifted up from the ground, if they are to produce fruit. God draws us close to Himself so that our devotion to Christ deepens. As He prunes away the unfruitful hindrances, His word cleans our thoughts and hearts. V3 ‘Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you’. Ps 119 v9 ‘How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word’. 

‘Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing’ v5. When we abide in Christ He promises us that we will bear fruit as we remain faithful to Him. The word abide occurs nine times in seven verses, v 4 – 10. It is a conscious decision to maintain our relationship with The Lord, depending on Him to enable us to do His commands. Truly we need Him even more, as we continue on the journey with Him. 

The great privilege of prayer is ours (v7). The Lord wants us to come to Him in prayer as He knows what is best for us and the situations we pray about. Prayer and leaning on the promises of God’s word increases our faith and brings us near to God. Abiding in the true vine will keep us connected to our Heavenly Father day by day. 

 

I’m rejoicing night and day 

As I walk the narrow way 

For the hand of God in all my life I see 

And the reason of my bliss 

Yes, the secret all is this: 

That the Comforter abides with me. 

 

Refrain 

He abides, He Abides; 

Hallelujah, He abides with me! 

I’m rejoicing night and day 

As I walk the narrow way, 

For the Comforter abides with me. 

By Herbert Buffum