The Branch and the Vine

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine.” John 15:4 (NCV)

God wants to be as close to us as a branch is to a vine. One is an extension of the other. It’s impossible to tell where one starts and the other ends. The branch isn’t connected only at the moment of bearing fruit. The gardener doesn’t keep the branches in a box and then, on the day he wants grapes, glue them to the vine. No, the branch constantly draws nutrition from the vine….

God also uses the temple to depict the intimacy he desires. “Don’t you know,” Paul writes, “that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?“ 1 Corinthians 6:19 (TEV). Think with me about the temple for a moment….God didn’t come and go, appear and disappear. He was a permanent presence, always available.

What incredibly good news for us! We are NEVER away from God!

by Max Lucado
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://maxlucado.com/about/

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine.” John 15:4 (NCV)

Further Reading