Remain in Me

"Remain in me, as I also 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 you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:4-5

Jesus said that he is the vine, and that we are the branches. A vine is what provides all nutrients, sustenance and life. Without the vine, the branch would merely wither and die. Jesus tells us that our relationship with him is very much like this vine and branch: if we remain in, provides all that we need: life, joy, peace. But without him, we can do nothing! He wants us to grow in dependency, for HIM to give us the very life we were made to life in him, which he says is "fruitful."

But, to be honest, it is not easy to always remain in Jesus. We have classes, work, and other obligations. So what does it mean, and how can we remain in Jesus?

We can learn to abide in Jesus through studying his word, spending time with him, and merely knowing our need for him. As he said, "apart from him, we can do nothing." He wants to bless us beyond measure, but this will not come unless we allow HIS life to be in us. In doing so, we will soon see great fruit we can never imagine.

May we grow in our dependence on Jesus day by day, and trust that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His love is greater than any mountain, any fear, any sin or weakness, and we can come to him as we are and find true life. Allow Him to hold your hand to give you peace.