Louise Gevers

“Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.” John 15:4-5 GNT

Last weekend we went apple-picking in the orchard of a nearby farm where I was delighted by the sight of hundreds of apple trees of different kinds in long rows, each one heavily laden with enormous, red, juicy apples such as I’d never seen before. There is something particularly appealing about voluptuous, ripe fruit hanging in all its fullness from the branches of a tree, bringing pride and pleasure to the farmer; so much so that it’s not surprising that Jesus uses the metaphor to describe the abundance of life in Him.

“An ongoing, dynamic relationship”, fairly sums up the state of prayer that we enjoy with God. This takes place as we remain attached to Jesus, the vine, and become rich, well nourished and vibrant because of what He feeds into us by His Spirit; just as a baby in the womb gets vital nourishment from the mother. If the placenta became detached, the baby wouldn’t survive. Cut the branch off the apple tree and the apples would slowly shrivel up. We need to be part of the Vine.

It’s all about relationship; if we only talk to God as a stranger, our conversation is distant and polite, but if we know Him as an intimate friend who knows everything about us, we are able to engage with Him at the deepest level. This doesn’t happen overnight. The key to this relationship is seen in what Jesus says: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. My Father’s glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples.” (John 15:7-9) He will answer our requests because we will know His teachings and will not ask for things that would inhibit His Spirit working in us, which would reflect badly on God. Sometimes we misunderstand this in our desire for a certain outcome for our prayers. In Gethsemane even Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

When we show good fruit in our lives it brings glory to God, and we grow as His disciples. Outside of Jesus we can do nothing of genuine value – our best efforts, without His Spirit, are worthless. Jesus said, “Whoever does not remain in me is thrown out like a branch and dries up”. John 15:6 Have you ever seen fresh fruit on a dry branch?

Yet for those who love others as Jesus loves us, sacrificially, God’s glory will be shown in the fruit of love they bear.

Prayer: Lord, I know that true life means living in You, and that brings fruitfulness that grows through Your Spirit living in me. Thank You that You have promised to remain in me if I remain in You. Amen.