Your Daily Slice

SHEVAT 1

Bearing Fruit

 

“Dwell IN Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live IN Me, and I will live in you.]  Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding IN (being VITALLY UNITED TO) the vice, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide IN Me.”  (John 15:4 AMPC, emphasis mine)

 

‘Bearing fruit’ has never been an option for those of us in a continuing relationship with our Creator.  Our fruit bearing honors and glorifies the Father (John 15:8); it is a proof of our teshuvah (repentance, see Mat 3:8); and it is also one of the evidences of the Ruach HaKodesh, the Spirit of Elohim at work in our lives (Gal 5:22, 23).  If we fail to bear the proper fruit, according to John 15:2, our Father will take that branch away; those of us that do bear fruit are repeatedly ‘pruned’, that we would be more productive in our fruit bearing (see Mat 7:17-20).

 

Fruit is always the result of what Elohim is doing in and through our lives.  Everything we do for our Creator is simply the overflow of what He is doing in us.  However, the first (and most important) ingredient to bearing the true and correct fruit is knowing (and living in) Messiah Yeshua, our true Vine.  Once we have recognized our need for a Savior, Deliverer, and Redeemer, we are not only grafted into this true Vine, but we are also adopted as children of Elohim (see Gal 4:4-5; Eph 1:5).  It is now our responsibility to stay attached to Him, to this vine, in order that we may be nourished and become productive (bear fruit).  But how to ensure that we stay attached?

 

“And the one GUARDING HIS COMMANDS stays in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He stays in us, by the Spirit which He gave us.” (1John 3:24, emphasis mine)

 

Are we vitally united to the vine?  Yeshua should always be the way, the truth, and the life to us, for He tells us that HE is the vine, and we are mere branches (John 15:5).  Are we allowing the Spirit of Elohim to bring forth fruit to maturity within our lives?  For it is the fruit of the Ruach that needs to be evident in us, before it can be inspected by others (see Mat 7:16-20).

 

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Master. Walk as children of light –for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth – proving what is well-pleasing to the Master ...” (Eph 5:8-10)

 

Help us, Abba, to always be obedient children, as we learn to stay attached to You.  May we be productive, bearing the fruit that You desire for us to produce in our lives, the fruit that will bring You honor and glory, and will witness to the world what an awesome Father and Vinedresser You are!  You are the Light and the Life worth living for, and we worship YOU!

 

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