STAY CONNECTED
“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 NKJV
One of my favorite passages in the Gospels is John 15—the entire chapter. It contains one of Jesus’ well-known “I AM” statements: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” In verse five, Jesus goes on to tell us that we are the branches of that vine. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of connection.
Connection allows for an exchange of energy—a symbiotic relationship. And that kind of connection can be either life-giving or life-draining, depending on the source to which we attach ourselves.
According to this passage, we are connected to Jesus—and to take it even further, we are an extension of Him. Branches flourish when they remain connected to a healthy vine. But once they are cut off, they only survive for a short time.
Think about a bouquet of flowers. They are cut from the ground or the bush, beautifully and perfectly arranged. We place them in water, add the nutrient packet from the florist, and admire their beauty. But even with all of that care, they last only about a week—maybe ten days at most. Why? Because they have been severed from their true-life source. They are no longer part of the ecosystem where nutrients flow freely—where there is giving and receiving, abiding and dwelling with the source.
The same is true for us. We must remain connected to our source—God—who provides everything we need. Jesus makes it plain: apart from Him, we can do nothing. But if we stay connected, if we abide in the Lord, we bear much fruit. We bear love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—the fruit of the Holy Spirit. And we are also used as instruments of evangelism, living in such a way that God is glorified and others are drawn in, asking, “What must I do to be saved?”
Our connection to God places us within God’s ecosystem—one that stretches farther than we can see, wider than we can imagine, and deeper than we can comprehend.
It is vast. It is life-giving. And it is eternal.
PRAYER
Lord, we pray that you will continue to call us back to you when we stray.
JOURNAL REFLECTION
Take a moment—what has weakened your connection with God?