Read:
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
~John 15:1-8 (NLT)
Consider:
- It is impossible to be fruitful unless we remain in Him.
- Remaining in Him results in fruitfulness.
- Failing to remain in Him results in eternal damnation.
What does remaining in Jesus look like? For me, it’s spending time with Him each day. It’s including Him in the decisions I make each day. It’s looking to Him first when things don’t go my way and turning to Him in thanksgiving and rejoicing with Him when something wonderful happens! Remaining in Jesus means including Him in every part of my life, both the good and the bad~my successes as well as my mistakes and failures.
One of the best things about remaining in Jesus is that He promises to remain in us as well:
Remain in me and I will remain in you.”
~John 15:4
I find that when I start my day with Jesus, it is so much easier to remain in Him throughout the rest of my day. Taking time first thing each morning to read His word and pray helps me to focus on what is most important~remaining in Jesus and in turn invites Jesus to remain in me throughout the day ahead! And oh, how I need Him with me during the day! On those days when I allow myself to become distracted and miss this time, it’s easy to find myself rushed the rest of the day, neglecting to even check in with Jesus. How many “bad days” could’ve been wonderful had I just remained in Him?
Let’s be wives, mothers, friends, co-workers and daughters of the King that are passionate about taking time first thing every day to spend with Jesus.
I invite you to do just that today~start your day with Jesus and learn how to remain in Him for the rest of your day…
Breathe:
Breathe in His love…exhale all your struggles…
When we remain in Jesus, He promises to remain in us and produce good fruit through us. What is one thing you can do today to remain in Him?
Pray:
Jesus~thank you for Your promise to remain in us as we remain in You. We need You, Jesus~every moment of every day! Place within us the desire to start our day with You. Help us make a plan so we can keep quiet time each day with You a priority in our lives…
Thank you for this. ❤