A 8-day Devotional to help you stay in the word and be in relationship with Jesus Christ.
Day 1
Why do we need to stay connected to Christ?
Having a relationship with Christ is the most important part of being a Christian. Yet, I never heard this term or phrase in all the church I went to as a child. I must have not been paying attention. Or I just did not understand the terminology. There is a difference between going to church and seeking or walking with God. As a child I thought they were the same. As an adult I started asking pertinent questions, such as what is this abundant life that Jesus spoke about, and how can I have it? Why is there so much lack and suffering in the Christian community? Why do people stop being Christians if God is real? Do they not know that God is real? Since I know God is real, how do I stay connected to Him when I am not hearing Him or seeing the blessings? Why am I not getting the blessings? This devotional will answer some of these questions. My quest is to understand most of these questions so I can help others on their walk or in their search for God.
The Gardener, the Vine, the branches, and the fruits.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5.
Grapevine is a beautiful plant. You need a lot of space to grow grapevines because it grows quite big. Although it is an attractive plant on its own, it has no value unless it bears good fruit. Gardeners will tell you how important it is to keep the vine and branches healthy, so it will grow large plants with luscious fruits. Think about the gardener of a vineyard, how he thoroughly inspects the plants to see if the plant is healthy, if the plant is bearing maximum amount of fruits and if the fruits are delicious (good).
Jesus is the vine and God is the gardener. We, the branches, must stay attached (in relationship) with the vine to bear the fruit of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.