Day 24 Your Great Reward

""I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Today's devotion is another one full of wisdom and reminders that abiding in Christ is our great reward. I could have written several blog posts from the rich message in this devotion. But I've chosen to focus on the verses in John 15 and how they have touched my life.

Anyone who has been in my home knows that I love grapes. In almost every room you'll see something with grapes in the décor. Many years ago I did a wonderful study by Henry Blackaby titled Experiencing God. We studied many different verses but focused on the Gospel of John, the fifteenth chapter. (I highly recommend this study.)  http://www.henryblackaby.com/

This is where Jesus reminds us that we need to remain in the vine to bear any fruit. Once a bunch of grapes is cut from the grape vine, it loses its source of life. After that the grapes will remain fresh for a while, but not for long.

John 15 tells us that we bear much fruit when we remain in the vine. When we cut ourselves off from the vine we lose our power to do God's will.

When we remodeled our kitchen I decided to use a grape theme in my decorating. I did this to remind me of the importance of remaining in the vine. I do this by being connected to a body of believers who will pray for me, make me accountable and teach me God's Word. There is life in being part of a local church.

The fruit of my life comes from my rich relationship with God and through the Holy Spirit's power.

If you read the whole chapter of John 15 it reminds us that without remaining on the vine, the fruit withers and dies.  But when we are connected, there is power to ask God for our needs.

Perhaps if the fruit of your life is dry and withered and your needs are not being met, maybe it's time to reconnect to the vine. Find a Body of Christ where you will learn life giving truth from the Bible. Participating in a home fellowship group has sustained me for many years. Many churches have groups for Bible study or special interests. These are friends I know I can count on to pray with me and support me in time of need. Feed your soul with a daily dose of Bible study, prayer and worship and the fruit from your life will be sweet and rich.

This my friend is your great reward – a life that is rich and full of God's mercy and grace.

God Bless Your Heart with His great reward!

Gigi Devine Murfitt
http://www.gigimurfitt.com/

I hope you will read the entire chapter of John 15 and ask for wisdom in how to apply this to your life. Here is a link to a website I use often to study. The link takes you to John 15 in the New International Version translation. There are other translations available on this site as well.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2015&version=NIV

The idea for this blog was taken from the January 24 entry in "God Calling" edited by A.J. Russell and published by Barbour Publishing.