Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Ask A Way Wednesday - Paige's Week

My friend Paige had a FABULOUS idea for Ask A Way Wednesdays. She suggested that I post a verse and share with you some of the insight God has given me about that particular verse. Then she suggested we open up the post for YOUR COMMENTS on the verse.

So this week: John 15 NIV

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener...Remain in me, and I will remain in you. 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 a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
The KJV uses the word "ABIDE" instead of "remain". The word "abide" in Greek is meno; it means to stay, remain, live, dwell, a state that begins and continues yet may not end. Abide, remain, live, and dwell are verbs. These words represent an action; however, the action described is actually to hang on, to stay put, to not be moved, and my favorite, to cling. "Staying" and "clinging" are not ideals that are encouraged in our "go, go, go" and "do, do, do" society.
I was watching a Joyce Meyer video yesterday and she had a picture of a branch that was broken off the vine. Branches brake for a lot of reasons, but in West Texas (where 40 mph winds are considered a breeze) branches usually break because of the wind. The "wind" of my life usually revolves around my "busyness". The enemy loves to get us blowing here and blowing there because we become weak. The enemy is so clever because usually we are "busy" doing good things...but even the wind from "good" activities weakens us; they keep us too busy to abide, cling, and hold fast to Our Sustainer.
The branch that was broken off in Joyce's video was withering...the leaves where dying and the fruit was rotting. It could do nothing apart from the vine. You know sometimes when you pick a flower you will try to give it "artificial" life support and put it in a vase. It might "live" for a little while, but there is never more "blooms" produced. Eventually the petals fall off, the leaves wither and it dies BECAUSE there is no substitution for the TRUE VINE. There is no water source like the LIVING WATER. Why do we do that as Christians? We know God...we know He is the WAY, but we think a better job, a bigger house, or our own works will help us "bloom"!!!
I think we all "break-away" from the true Vine. I know I have done it many times...usually because I am so "busy" doing good works for Him. I got so busy doing for HIM this past spring...I forgot HIM. I forgot the most important commandment; I forgot to LOVE HIM with all my heart, my mind, and my soul. I knew I wasn't connected to the TRUE VINE because I was tired, frustrated, and stressed. I WAS WITHERING AROUND ALL THE EDGES...I WAS BEARING NONE OF THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.
God wants us on the vine so HE can love on us, fill us(Eph. 3 says God wants to fill us to the brim until we are overflowing), AND THEN through us HE produces fruit. After all, it was His son that was cut so we could be grafted into His Kingdom. It is my opinion this is why Christians today are so tired and frustrated. We are preaching, serving, and going for God's Kingdom, but we are not connected to the VINE. We are trying produce fruit that cannot be produced by HUMAN hands. Zech. 4:6 says, "...Not by might, nor by power, BUT BY MY SPIRIT."
So my question to you today is...
How do we abide?
How do you abide?
What action is required so we can remain connected to the TRUE VINE?
I can't wait to read your comments!!!

2 comments:

Belinda said...

This was so refreshing to hear, a few weeks ago I woke up and the first thing I heard was God saying "abide in me and I will abibe in you" took some digging to understand but I love this verse.I loved this post, sorry I didn't get to come and see you today. I so wanted too. Call me soon.Luv ya

Paige said...

Yeah! this is great... ok here goes
1.How do we abide?
2. How do I abide? my answer is for both questions. we just studied this, God is so good. like you said abide can also mean, cling, rufuse to budge under pressure. I went back to my workbook and was reading about this vs. and I missed this great thought! God's Word is our "cling wrap" adhering us to His presence. Have you ever stuck cling wrap on a bowl, or just tried to find the end. Impossible! this is how I should with my Bible, my thoughts, I should be so stuck on Him and His Word there is not a way to find beginning or end. Is that not so exciting to have access to God's presence... if we think of a plant - it needs good soil, water, to be pruned, roots that run deep, the dead to be picked off. There is no way a branch can survive if it is not attached to the plant/vine. everything it is and can produce comes from the "main" plant. So we need to refuse to budge (no matter what kind of pressure we are under), cling to him, let His Word wrap us like cling wrap to His presence!
3. what action is required so we can remain connected to the true vine? well I think like you said you can go through all the motions and not be connected. I think each morning if we just lay it out...submit to Him...pray, humble ourselves, realize even when we are being pruned God is with us, just preparing us to bear more fruit. This chapter is so full...I need to hush! Thanks Dawn for your great thoughts...it made my day.

 

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