I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. John 15:5
After my church’s Palm Sunday service, I brought home two palm branches. On a whimsey, I stuck one of them in a pot containing a house plant. I laid the other on a shelf, intending to deal with it later.
During the week when watering plants, I was amazed to see the palm branch in the planter was still green. The on-the-shelf branch was brown and withered.
“I should have put you in the pot too.” I thought, and then I did just that-put it in the same house plant pot. A few days later, to my surprise, that branch turned green despite having been on the shelf several days before.
I determined that the palm branch in the potted plant was in touch with what it needed for life-soil, water, fertiziler and so it thrived. The other branch had no such soil source at first, But when it finally did get in touch with soil and water, it too began to take on life.
That is the scenario we find as Christians. When we are separated from the source of spiritual life, we wither and fade spiritually. But when we stay in touch with Jesus, the source of spiritual life through the Bible, prayer and devotional reading, service and fellowship with others, we take on the life Christ has promised.
“If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers.” John 15:6
Prayer: Loving God, help us keep in touch with you, the source of our spiritual life.
Thought For The Day: Christ is eager to reclaim us. So if we stray, but then return to Him, the source, we live again.