Daily Devotion 22 November 2014 John 15 1-2 (NLV) 15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 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. These first two verses from chapter 15 hold a lot of meaning and can be interpreted in a number of ways. Jesus spoke a lot about plants and trees as examples of people and the kingdom of God, a lot about the quality of a tree can be found by looking at what it is producing. In Matthew 7:16 it is written “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?”. In a similar way the kind of person someone is can usually be observed by the way they live their lives. Have a good honest look at how you spend your time, money and energy and think about a couple of things. First of all what branches need to be chopped off. What are we doing every day that isn’t producing fruit? Are you spending too much money on things you don’t need, being held back by toxic relationships, or maybe just spending hours on the computer watching too many cat videos? These things aren’t always easy to give up but it is important to do so. By identifying them as barriers and asking God for strength we are able to stop giving these things access to our precious time and energy while building a meaningful relationship and becoming closer with God in the process. Secondly, what are we doing that is giving glory to God? And what more can we do to enhance these things? The way we serve God is a journey not a destination. It doesn’t matter where you are right now whether you are actively involved in church or only blessing people when they sneeze there is always room for improvement. Sometimes it means giving up or sacrificing things that you would rather not, but these sacrifices can never compare to Jesus who gave up everything for us when he died on the cross. Father, help me to give up the things that are holding me back from a meaningful relationship with you so I can share your love with others and work with you to build your kingdom. Have a great Saturday. Lisa Calis
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 10:01:32 +0000
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