“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
John 15:5
Without You I can do nothing. I have often tried to live the christian life by my own merit, working my way into “christian” character; no good has come. I can fake the walk only long enough until my needs are not met and I give up on trying and selfishness takes over. Why Lord? Knowing that all sufficiency is in You alone, knowing that apart from You I am nothing but a dead branch, knowing these things why do I than try to produce fruit by my own effort? The fruit I try to bear is nothing more than wax fruit; which is good for nothing. True fruit that brings life into the lives of others comes from You alone. Thank You Jesus for doing the seemingly impossible inside my heart. Lord, remind me that I am but a branch without You. Teach me to rely on You for all fulfillment and to not look for other sources of life. You are the source of life, and therefore I am entirely dependent on You for life. I have tried living on my own for myself, it brought nothing but destruction. Self sufficiency has led only to my death, as are the wages of all sin. Even now, if I take my eyes off of You for just a moment, than I once again fall ashamed on my face in sin. Only trust and abiding in You can keep this heart pure, only You have the power to bear fruit in me. Write it on my heart, that I may worship the Vine and not the fruit, that I glorify the Giver and not the gifts. Draw me close to You, and use me as you please.
