March 6 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

John 15:1-14:

¹I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
²Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
³Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
⁵I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
⁶If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
⁷If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
⁸Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
⁹As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
¹⁰If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
¹¹These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
¹²This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
¹³Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
¹⁴Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Devotional

What constitutes the vine? Not only the main stem, but the roots, stem, branches, leaves and fruit. And Christ said, "I am the vine." He is all in all. Indeed, believers are the branches; but the branches belong to the vine. Without them the plant would be incomplete. Believers are so intimately united to Christ that they are one with him. He lives in them and they in him. "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."

What is the vine for? To bear fruit. If a vine does not bear fruit, it is good for nothing but to be burned. But the branches cannot bear fruit by themselves. They must abide in the vine. As soon as you separate a branch from the vine, it must die. Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye, except ye abide in me." But if we abide in him, and his words abide in us, we shall bring forth much fruit. It is much fruit that God wants. To this end He purges the fruitbearing branches. The heavenly Vinedresser chastens us, so that we may yield a peaceable fruit of righteousness, not by our own efforts, but through the power that flows from the Vine. And by much fruit God is glorified.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to realize that by nature we lie in the midst of death; that there is no life in us, and that of ourselves we cannot bring forth fruit. Help us to realize that Christ is our life, and that we shall bring forth fruit only when we are united to him. Help us to abide in him. May his words abide in us. Thus may we bring forth much fruit to the honor and glory of his name. In his name we pray. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Gal. 2:20; Ezek. 15:2-4; Heb. 12:11; John 15:8.

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