Copy of Preparing Our Hearts for Annual Session: 30 Days of Prayer and Devotion - Day 8

Day 8 Abide in the Vine

Rev. Dr. Eric Hoheisel

Associate Regional Pastor, ABCNJ

Scripture:  John 15:4–5 — " No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 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.”

Reflection:
A friend of mine recently became a master gardener. He told me that the biggest lesson he learned from his experience is how important soil is to a thriving plant. What you plant in makes a huge difference.

I have been thinking a lot about what he said in relation to the parable Jesus told in John 15 about the vine and the branches. If the fruit is the product of the vine, then the vine is the product of the soil. 

Perhaps it is like this. Jesus is the vine, and this vine is planted in the soil, which is the nature and character of God. The “nutrients” that make up this soil (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; see Galatians 5) will flow up and out through Jesus and into me... IF I stay connected to the vine. 

Dallas Willard wrote, “It is possible to become so obsessed with doing what Jesus says that you fail to become the kind of person Jesus wants.” I don’t need to do more. I need the fruits of the Spirit. If I stay in the vine, the “nutrients” that comprise the soil of God’s character will naturally find their way into, and out of, me. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep us deeply rooted and abiding in You. When we are tempted to measure faithfulness by our accomplishments, remind us that lasting fruit grows from life with You. Nourish us by Your Spirit and cultivate in us love, joy, peace, patience, and grace. May our lives bear fruit that reflects Your character. Amen.

Practice: Set aside ten quiet minutes today to simply be with Christ. Read John 15:4–5 slowly, then sit in silence without a list of requests or tasks. Ask God to reveal which fruit of the Spirit He desires to cultivate more deeply in your life.