We are the branches, Jesus is The Vine. What is our relationship with Jesus really like? What is it supposed to be like? We are given a clear example in John 15:1-17. "I am the true vine, you are the branches" Grape orchards were quite common in the hills and valleys of Israel back in biblical days. Give this thought for a moment. Jesus is the source of what we need as nutrients. He is The Vine He sinks His roots into the ground to gather all we need. Water, nutrients, etc and then all that we need is channeled through the vine till it reaches the branches, which are us. We receive all we need and then we blossom. We aren't just any old branch but we are pruned, ready to grow, pruned by Jesus. John 15:3 "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" We are pruned by Jesus, ready to grow and become a fruit bearing branch of The Living God.

We as a branch must remain connected to the vine in order to produce fruit. We can't decide to just go off on our own doing things our way. John 15:5 "He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing" No abiding with The Lord, No fruit. Let's study for a moment what "abiding" means. In this passage the word means to stay, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand. It is very simple, don't go anywhere. Stay close in our relationship with Jesus. Without a relationship with Jesus we will not be a bearer of fruit. We will not grow as a Christian. We will not blossom. 

We must live our lives as if we have taken up residence with Jesus and live with Him every day 'abiding' with him in all we say and do. We can't when our life gets tough run off and do it our way. We must seek God's way. We must remain with Jesus. In the book of John 15:11 tells us the result of 'abiding' with him. "that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. Isn't that one of the things we seek most in life? Joy, just simple joy in our life? That special on top of this world, pure happiness, peace with ourselves and those around us? Jesus is saying that full joy, is what we will enjoy if we 'abide' in HIM. There is no other way to have that total peace, no way to experience that pure joy, no way for this without Jesus. It will only be available to us when we 'abide', stay, remain, camp out with Jesus.

We all want that joy for our life, that inner peace, that happiness where no matter what we face we can do it with love in our heart and a smile on our face. So let us choose to 'dwell' daily with Jesus, choose to abide with Him in every walk of life we take. Let us choose to remain in a close relationship with Jesus forever. Choose to stand for God in all we say and do. Choose to pitch our tent and camp out for the rest of our life with Jesus. How about you?