100 Words with David Mainse

Abide and relax in the sure knowledge that His life is flowing through you to produce the delicious fruits of the Spirit.

Today’s Reading: John 15-16

Key Verse: John 15:4

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. In order to fulfill the purpose for which we are created, we must keep connected with Jesus 24/7. This is not a struggle; it’s simply abiding. We just hang in there. We rest in Jesus and His life flows into us. The ingredients of His life are listed here in our reading – Love (15:9) – Joy (15:11 & 16:22) – The Helper, The Spirit of Truth – (15:26 & 16:7) – Peace (16:33). Relax, abide, and let His life flow. We should take note that what He desires will also flow into us. Our desires will be His desires. This is the secret to receiving what we desire. We must find out what He desires and ask accordingly. It will “be done for you” (15:7 & 16:24).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I’m abiding, hanging in there, relaxing in the sure knowledge that Your life is flowing into me and through me to produce delicious fruit. When someone picks my fruit, may they taste the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

At times in life I have, figuratively, taken myself by the scruff of the neck and tried to drag myself into doing what I knew I should do. Frankly, it doesn’t work. It’s frustrating, hard work, and produces rotten fruit. In the early 1970s, we had a peach tree in our back yard that bore delicious fruit. Early one morning I went outside to pray, and I learned the lesson of the peach tree. I observed that it didn’t struggle. It didn’t push. It didn’t jump up and down in its effort to produce the fruit the Creator intended. It just simply knew enough to “abide.” I relaxed and decided to do the same. I prayed only for those things I knew Jesus desired. I knew His desires because I was faithful in daily reading what He had to say to me in His Word. This devotional is an extension of that understanding. He is the Vine. I am a branch. Perhaps this book is the twig that enables the fruit to be there for the picking and eating.