Lesson #5 Stay Connected
As we learned in last lesson, Jesus
said, “Abide in Me!” It was not a suggestion or a request. It was
a command. In the seasons of chastening and pruning, the Vinedresser
pursues and initiates. Our role is to respond. But with abiding, we
must act. Abiding is to remain, to stay closely connected. And what
if we don't?
John 15:6 says “If anyone does not
abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they
gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
I know that these words sound
catastrophic but Jesus is not threatening a barren branch with hell.
I've heard it taught this way, but as what Ezekiel wrote, “Is wood
taken from the grapevine to make any object?...Instead it is thrown
into the fire for fuel.” (Ezekiel 15:3-4)
Jesus is making a dramatic point. If we
are not abiding, we wither and die and become of no spiritual use.
But notice the implied promise for the branch that does abide. If you
stay connected to Him, if you draw spiritual nourishment from Him, if
you allow the power that flows through Him to flow through you,
nothing will hold you back from reaching the most abundant life
possible.
I don't know why but some people are
just going to be happy living that unfruitful life which is very sad
because God has so much more out there for them. They won't be cast
out of Christ, but yet they will not be of any spiritual use. Sad
place to be really. I know many of us have a lot of issues to work
through from our past, but God through the Holy Spirit is always
working in us to help us through those things, but there are some who
continue to want to always see themselves as a victim instead of
victorious.
Just picture this....
The Vinedresser is kneeling beside you
in the cool of the morning. He is reaching down to intervene in your
life, to lift you up and bring you back to fruitfulness. His face
conveys concern and sadness – not disgust, not irritation, not even
anger. He doesn't see a chronic loser in you, but a chosen,
carefully tended branch that is one choice away from an altogether
better existence. THIS is the season of discipline,
The Vinedresser is standing beside you
in the sun of midday. He's holding some shears, but He's not unhappy.
His face conveys delight and expectation. He snips away unwanted
shoots, and is impressed with your energy and promise, He can foresee
the time when you will respond in faith to the test He has put before
you today. THIS is the season of pruning.
The Vinedresser is leaning against a
nearby trellis as the sun is going down, his hat pushed back. He's
looking at your branch with pleasure, satisfaction, and joy. Just
being here near you, enjoying your beauty, is His favorite moment of
the day. The huge clusters of grapes crowding your branch are exactly
what He's had in mind for you since your branch first sprouted. THIS
is the season of abiding.
My friend, the whole reasoning for
these lessons is to let you know that God loves you very much and He
is ALWAYS working in your life, no matter what. Even when we make
mistakes, He's there to help turn it all around for the good. Even
those who are not abiding, He does not give up. He will continue
rebuke, chasten and scourge to get their attention. He desires that
we all become fruitful and live that abundant life for Him because it
gives Him glory!
Always remember that no matter what
season you are in, God will use you, and for those of you who are not
abiding, it is never too late to start bearing fruit. Open up your
heart today and truly let Him in so that He can begin working in your
life! Don't be satisfied to just be a branch to provide fuel for a
fire. Heed to God's voice. Remember the gift of joy!. The enemy
will point to the pain of discipline, the losses that came with
pruning, and the frustration and effort associated with abiding, and
he'll try to convince you that God's plan for you is a prescription
for misery but remember Jesus' wonderful promise that...Your joy may
be full!
John 15:11 “These things I have
spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may
be full”.
As the disciples proved in the years to
come, that promise of full joy is a reality you can build a life on.
Stay Connected!
Connie Schmoll
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