Abide or Die...

The other day I had to go to one of our (LifeBUILDERS) properties to let someone in, we are in the process of renovating a house. Growing up the fence of this house were the prettiest purple flowers I ever seen! I walked over to take a moment to "smell the roses" if you will! I begin to pull some of the weeds surrounding the flowers and I realized I accidentally pulled the branch that was connected to the flowers ;( I was bummed!! I went back just a few short hours later to lock up and the flowers were completely wilted and almost dead - already!!!

I had a very vivid - real life picture of John 15, especially verse 5 - I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Apart from Him we can do absolutely NOTHING! What was amazing to me is that these flowers that were once so beautiful, vibrant and full of life were completely lifeless, wilted and almost dead - within moments of being disconnected from the vine!

So it is with us, the moment we allow sin and things that are unpleasing to the Lord we disconnected ourselves from the vine. The moment we do that - we are no longer abiding or living in Him. How quick and easy it can be at times to skimp on our devotion time or listen to this person gossip or allow offense to build up. Those things suck the life out of us and soon, if not quick to repent, we find our self lifeless, drained, sapped of the vibrant life God infuses to us while we are connected to Him and drawing from His Spirit in our secret place.

BUT GOD!!  He is a God of RESTORATION and He does make ALL THINGS NEW!! Been feeling a little disconnected!? Time to repent and reconnect, He is the Master Gardener and is waiting with open arms to prune you back into shape!

Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. John 15:2