I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch that withers. They gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.     John 15:5-6 HCSB

I often think about this verse when I am cleaning my yard as I have been doing some this week. We have several oak trees in our yard and there is always an abundance of dead limbs that have fallen from the trees.

In John chapter 15, Jesus is using a metaphor where He describes Himself as a vine and us as His branches. If a branch is cut from a vine, it can’t survive. It will wither and dry up, just like those limbs I pick up in the yard. I take those limbs and burn them. The only use for them once they have fallen from the tree is being burned.

I pick up two big piles of limbs and will cover them with all the dead leaves that have fallen and burn them. This is the natural progression for trees, but it should not be for us. As Christians, we must remain firmly connected to our life source with is Jesus Christ.

We must remain in Him to be strong and thrive. Without Him, we can do nothing. We do nothing on our own. It is pure arrogance to think that we accomplish great things on our own. We accomplish great things because of His goodness and His mercy.

There was a time when I worked so hard to achieve my goals. It was good that I did because God would use them years later. But, when my plans didn’t work out when I had hoped they would, I thought I had wasted my time. I just didn’t understand God’s timing.

It took many years of my life for me to truly understand the concept, “God’s got this”. I have come to realize that if I will focus on what He has called me to do and do it to the best of my ability, He will take care of all I need (Matthew 6:33). He will provide for me and walk with me through the fire.

There will be storms that come my way and the winds will blow with a mighty force. They will do their best to remove my branch from my life source. But I must hold on even tighter during those times. He will hold my hand and provide shelter through the storm.

Whether you are facing a raging storm or a sunny day, I pray that you face it firmly connected to Jesus Christ. I pray that you understand the dangers of becoming disconnected from Him. He will never leave nor forsake you, be sure you don’t leave or forsake Him.

In Isaiah 43:2-3, God said to Isaiah, who relayed this message to the Israelites, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by my name; you are Mine. I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire and the flame will not burn you.”

Without Him, we can do nothing. With Him, there is nothing we can’t do. Philippians 4:13 tells us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. If God calls us to do something, He will give us the strength to do it.

Matthew 19:26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Trust in Him today. Earnestly seek Him through prayer and Bible study. Connect with Him on a meaningful level. Enter into a solid relationship with Him.

Whatever you don’t go through a second without Him.

Have a great day!