I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 LSB

It took me a while to truly understand that I can do nothing without Him. I considered myself to be strong and independent, but then I realized that my strength came from Him. In Him, I have the strength to do whatever He calls me to do (Philippians 4:13). Without Him, I don’t take my next breath. I don’t get out of bed in the morning. I have come to realize that whatever I do, I do in His strength and not my own.

I have come to realize that He is sovereign, and He is in complete control. We are told in Colossians 1:16-17, “For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

I spent many years of my life trying to fulfill the plan I had for my life. I went to great lengths qualifying, applying and interviewing for a job that I desperately wanted, but would never get. But all those things I did to prepare for this job would serve a purpose years later. God had a plan. It was different than my plan, but it required the same preparations.

I did many things without consulting God and trusting in His plan for my life as we are told to do in Proverbs 3:5-6. This put me on crooked paths, and I had to surrender to Him to get these paths straightened out.

I really wish I had been smarter and had figured out all these things earlier in life, but every scar I have reminds me of His love for me. It reminds me that when I go against His commands, I am subject to hurt myself. When I try to live a life apart from Him, I fail, and I fall.

I am so thankful that I serve a merciful, loving God. He has upheld me many times with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). And I know there have been times when I have found myself in situations where the only thing that brought me out safely was the fact that He has given His angels commands to guard me and bear me up (Psalm 91:11-12).

It’s a very humbling experience to realize that we are nothing without Him, but it’s the start of a new beginning. It’s the start of a new life where we are freed from the bondage of sin. It’s the start of a new life where we recognize that He is in control, and realize we have no need to worry because He’s in control (Philippians 4:7).

I had to be broken to surrender to Him, but I thank God for bringing me to that point. I thank God for not giving up on me as we are told He will do (in Romans 1:18-24) if we reject Him enough in Romans.

If you are living your life like it’s all about you, you are a heartbreak waiting to happen. You must humble yourself or He will humble you. Trust me, it’s much easier when you do it yourself.

We must realize that without Him we are nothing. We can do nothing without Him. We are told in John 15:6 that if anyone does not abide in Jesus, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; is gathered and cast into the fire.

Satan wants you to think you are all that and a bag of chips and you can go it alone. He is lying to you. You need Jesus. We all need Jesus. He waits for you with outstretched arms and the nail scars to prove that He loved you enough to die for you. What are you waiting for? Run to Him today.

Let Him wrap you in His loving, protective, healing arms. Let Him walk with you through the fire and the flood.

Have a great day!