marylaw
Life Plan Devotion #245 [Abide in Fruit-bearing]
Jul 07, 2010
Hi, Everyone.Today's devotion is the last one in the Abiding in Christ mini-devotional series. Like the other topics, I feel we have just skimmed the surface. If, after reading today's devotion about Fruit-bearing, you would like to read more, I would recommend that, along with reading John chapter 15, you read a small yet powerful book called Secrets of the Vine by Bruce Wilkinson.
Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will post the Flashback Friday Devotion and then will be back on Monday with a new topic in the Life Plan Devotion. It is a topic that the Lord spoke to me just yesterday, and I'm very excited about it. As always, I appreciate your prayers for me, as I seek to read and meditate on the Word, that I will listen carefully and be obedient.
Please pray for those having surgery today, as well as those recovering from surgery. Please pray for those who are (or will be) submitting to God's careful pruning in their life, so they can bear much fruit (see devotion).
Blessings,
Mary
Life Plan Devotion #245 [Abide in Fruit-bearing]
John 15:5 “[Jesus said,] 'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing'” (NIV).
Abiding (dwelling, continuing, enduring, remaining, standing) in Christ begins with salvation, but it is meant to be an ever-deepening relationship with our Savior and Lord. Every believer would do well to ask her(him)self, “Is Jesus merely my Savior, or is He the Lord of my life?” There is a difference, and the result of that difference will be seen in whether or not the believer bears fruit in her(his) life, for the kingdom.
Chapters 13 through 17, in the Book of John, contain Jesus' last earthly words to His disciples (and to us), before He is betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified. Last words carry weight. Jesus' last words carry instruction laced with love. As with all of His words, the message is simple so that the one open to it will understand, yet so deep that the brightest biblical scholar can study for a lifetime and barely uncover the first layer of meaning.
One of the most precious results of abiding in Christ, and one about which I am most passionate, is that of bearing fruit—much fruit. God wants every believer to be fruitful, from the inside out. That is one of the reasons He gave us the Holy Spirit, that the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control--Galatians 5:22) will be experienced in our heart and life, and will positively impact those around us, hopefully for all eternity.
Yes, being fruitful is a mark of an abiding believer. Just as the only grapevine to bear much fruit is the one whose roots are strong, whose branches are well-connected and pruned, only the believer who is rooted and grounded in God's love and the Word, who stays connected to Him in prayer, and who submits to His pruning (to the cutting away of anything that would hinder her[his] relationship and walk with the Lord) will bear much fruit.
What fruit are you bearing? What eternal impact is your life having? It is more than giving service to others, in some ministry or church, although that is important. It is pouring out, from yourself, of what you have allowed the Lord to pour into you. It is living a life of purpose, of looking for every opportunity to share the good news of Christ, with passion and compassion. The fruit you bear should be attractive and attracting to others, so that they want what you have.
Today, and every day, ask the Vinedresser to tend to you in such a way that you will not only bear fruit, but bear much fruit, a fruitful life overflowing with purposeful abundance, yielding the Fruit of the Spirit and touching lives for all eternity. Be prepared, though, not only for the heart changes required, but also to becoming equipped to share your faith, as the Lord gives you the opportunity. If you do the abiding, God will do the fruit-bearing, and it will be awesome.
What this has to do with weight loss: Reaching goal will be the result of what you eat and how you move. That's true, but for the believer, it will also be the result of abiding in Christ, for one aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:22). If self-control is an area of lack for you, the solution to the problem is to spend more time allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you up, to tend to your needs. If you do, you will not turn to food to do that, at least not past the point of fuel that your body needs.
Prayer for Today:
“Heavenly Father, I desire to bear much fruit in my life, and I know that is Your desire for me, too. Today, I submit myself to You, and I ask that You would tend to me in whatever way You deem best. I invite You to do the pruning, the cutting away of anything that hinders fruitfulness. Even if that is a bit painful, I know there is purpose in it, and I know it will result in fruit—in me and for me, for others, and for Your glory. Be pleased to do this work, Lord, and give me the opportunity to share Jesus with someone today. I pray in the Name of my Savior and Lord—Jesus Christ. Amen.”
