Abiding in the Vine
“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 […] As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15: 5, 9-10
I have been reading Andrew Murray’s devotional Abiding in Christ this month, and while it feels dense in certain areas, I am so moved by his message. Sometimes I find myself desensitized to certain passages of the Bible because I’ve read them so many times, but spending a month meditating on just a small bit of scripture is doing something powerful in my heart.
Jesus is our true vine; He is the source of our strength, support, and nourishment. As we are connected to Him, the “branch” of our life is able to bear fruit. And what’s even better news than what we are able to produce is what we now belong to as we abide in Christ. We belong in His love. Jesus says to His people “Remain in my love” three times back to back–it’s that important. When we are connected to Christ, we are covered by the greatest love in the world.
As I read verses 9 and 10, I am reminded of Psalm 91:1 which says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide [or find rest] in the Almighty,” and I imagine myself curled up in the arms of Jesus. He covers and protects me so that I can rest; He provides a home for me. And all the fruit I produce has nothing to do with my own strength. It has everything to do with staying connected to His love.
My hope for all of us is that we will learn to abide more and more with Christ. In the crazy state that our world is currently in, what a blessed assurance that we have a safe place to land; we have the Greatest Love to stay connected to. Jesus is the true vine; we are His branches, and we find our true rest in Him.