October 27

I love to garden. It is one of the joys of my life to go muck around in the dirt and see God’s beautiful creation up close. It also makes certain parts of the Bible come alive for me. Agricultural symbolism is heavy in scripture. While it made sense to a lot of the audience of the time, many people today don’t understand the deeper meaning.

Several years ago now I tried growing grapes. It was a huge success until the wildlife decided it also liked grapes. I remember discussing with my Dad how to properly prune the vine. He told me to read John 15:2. “Every branch that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” You know what? It worked! When the little clusters of grapes started to appear, no bigger than nerds candy, I looked at each branch and cluster. The branches that held no fruit I clipped off. If it had grapes growing, small as they were, I nipped the end off, but left the branch. More fruit would develop, producing a better harvest. So it is with our faith. Jesus said he is the “true vine.” Without our lives branching off of him, we are unable to bear spiritual fruit.

How often do we as believers try to do things in our own strength? I grew up with the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. I get things done. I have struggled with going to God first instead of a last resort. The power that I worked in was my own. And it was exhausting and unfruitful.

My encouragement to you today is to be Mary instead of Martha. Choose the presence of God first, allowing him to show you what he wants done. Abide in him. It is not worth your energy to work away at things that won’t have a heavenly purpose.

Prayer for today:

Heavenly Father, help me to be a fruitful part of the vine. I ask you prune away the parts of me that are holding me back from serving you. Help me to glorify you in all that I do. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.