John 15:1-8. Verse 5, 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." Think of a straw it's absolutely neutral - any liquid will pass through it. With it we can drink delicious fruit juices or deadly poison. We need to be selective as to what we put our straw into. We all have "spiritual straws" through which we draw in from many areas. How much deadly poison do we take in without a second thought? We become a product of the nutrients we take in; it determines what kind of fruit we bear. If our straw is firmly fixed in Jesus through His Words and prayer then we get the good nutrients and we can bear good fruit, especially as we allow it to affect the way we live. Or we take it in and don't let it affect the way we live we grow spiritually "fat". Those kinds of branches on a plant we call suckers. They just produce vine and no fruit. The gardener cuts them off, so the sap can go to the vines producing fruit. We have here two choices, to be able to do absolutely nothing of real value or to bear much fruit. One might say that that is not really a choice, why would anyone want to be useless? Yet we all know that people regularly choose to not be attached to the vine. They choose to do their own thing, choosing both the present and eternal consequences. So many who call themselves Christians choose a relationship with God on their own terms and so rob themselves of blessings and the production of good and bountiful fruit. Cherish your relationship with the vine. Sink your roots deep.

Remain in the Vine