The True Vine
Spend a few moments in silence before God preparing your heart to hear from Him.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.” – Psalm 19:7-10
What are some of the benefits to remaining close and familiar with God’s Word?
Pray: Psalm 19 gives a list of all the good we can expect to experience when we know and obey God’s commands. The way of God shown to us in the Bible brings life, joy, wisdom, and nourishment. Following God fills us with light and refreshes our soul. Pause right now and thank God for His Word.
How have you benefitted from following God and trusting His truth?
“‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.’ When he said this, he called out, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’” – Luke 8:5-8
Read: John 15:1-17
What does this passage teach you about Jesus? How does a person bear good fruit?
When Jesus calls Himself the true vine, He is, in a sense, referring to Himself as the Tree of Life, the source of God’s goodness, love, and abundant life. Those who remain close and connected to Him will produce fruit that shows they have been changed from someone ruled by sin and selfishness to a new creation ruled by selflessness. Jesus says those who are truly following Him will obey His command to live a life of love, love that is willing to give up one’s life for the good of others. Earlier in His conversation with His disciples here, Jesus tells them that He will give them the Holy Spirit who will enable them to follow His way of love and produce the kind of fruit that demonstrates a life transformed by Jesus. In Galatians 5, Paul tells us that the fruit the Spirit produces in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, all qualities Jesus displayed in His life and through His death on the cross.
Listen: Check out the following video for further study.
What needs to change in your life as a result of hearing this message about Jesus?
Pray: Use the following passage of Scripture as a guide for a closing prayer to your time spent with God today.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the richness of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” – Ephesians 1:1-8a
