Wednesday, March 30 / Day 25  

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.  — John 15:1-5

So far we have looked at God’s unconditional love and the nourishment you get through reading the Word of God. When you put these things on your plate, you find there is little room for things like pride, self-pity, people-pleasing, etc.

Today we are looking at three other things Jesus Christ offers: presence, power, and pruning.

Presence. Jesus says to abide in him. In fact, you cannot bear fruit unless you abide in him. You can spin your wheels and do all sorts of things on your own. You can make five-year plans and vision boards and do a lot of good things. But when you abide in Christ, when you ask God what He wants you to do, then you are truly bearing the fruit God has for you. Then you are using your spiritual gifts in the way He wants you to.

Power. Notice you are called to bear fruit, not produce it. How often do you get so caught up in doing things that you burn yourself out? When you abide in Christ, you do things by his power. He gives you the strength to do what he wants you to accomplish.

Pruning. No one likes this. But part of growing in Christ is letting the Holy Spirit prune you. When you live life for yourself and indulge in sin, you have a lot of dead, tangled vines in your soul. The more you take responsibility for your sin and repent when you realize you have strayed, the more dead vines get cut off and the healthier you are.

To Think/Pray About Today

How much do you do on your own power and how much do you pray for God to lead you? Do you pray for God to reveal sin in your life so you can repent and be cleansed? Do you believe you need to accomplish things on your own or that God will guide you?

Prayer Focus: Lola’s Mexican Restaurant