Father, so often we try to make our home in different places and in different ways apart from You. Forgive us our wandering hearts & grant us wisdom to see our place with You as peace. Amen.

John 15:1-11
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Again, John echoes these words from Jesus reminding us that our love shows through in our obedience to Him. We live in Him, dwell in Him, abide in Him. And when we find ourselves, through the strength & wisdom He provides, living in this way, we will find our lives daily bringing Him glory. These moments are those moments where we really ‘feel’ the presence of God, as we practice this discipline of self-control and focus our eyes on our Master. This is walking in the rhythms of grace. Not that we are pleased by ourselves and what we choose to do, but that we find ourselves pleased because we have given the margin to God, the center to God and seeing His holiness & righteousness at work in us will bring us pleasure. We delight in Him as He delights in us and we abide in Him.

This is living in love, abiding in His love. He prunes and trims and removes what we do not need, and what does not honor Him, so that we might bear much fruit. It is in our fruit-bearing that He is glorified, because fruit-bearing comes from obedience. The ability to bear fruit does not come from us, but from Him. The fruit of our life, righteous works standing as proof of salvation at work in us, and the bringing of lost souls to Him,  are again markers of our obedience.

The more we come to realize and understand that we are just wisps and vapors here, that our time is short and temporary, the less we will try to build a kingdom for our self here and seek to serve Him with a reckless abandon, content to simply abide in Him. This Radical, Immediate, Costly Obedience is the hallmark of the Christian life and speaks to the selflessness of Christ and the generosity of the Father.

Use these days wisely & reject the desires of sin.
Abide in the Father.
Walk as Jesus.
Move in the Holy Spirit.

Father, so often we try to make our home in different places and in different ways apart from You. Forgive us our wandering hearts & grant us wisdom to see our place with You as peace. Amen.