HIStory: A Six Week Study of the Gospel of JohnSample

“Remain in Him”

Jesus describes himself as a vine and us as branches. In other words, He is the source of our life. Everything we receive comes from Him and is about Him. Jesus also describes our Heavenly Father as a Gardener. One of the things that a gardener does is prune back the branches so they can become even more fruitful.

Sometimes God needs to prune us before we can bear fruit for Him. This might mean God has to cut away some things we are holding on to for security and safety. It doesn’t feel good to have God prune or remove things that have stopped our growth. But in the end, it will produce something even better through us.

The real key to sustained growth is learning to “remain in Him.” Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing. Sometimes we are so busy doing things that we lose sight of just remaining connected to Him. Don’t overlook the importance of remaining connected to Jesus through His Word and prayer. Make it a daily rhythm in your life and something fruitful will come out of it.