Daily Word – Thursday 18 January 2007

John 15:4

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 vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

I have found in my life that when I feel burnt out and can’t see the ‘wood for the trees’, it is always because I am abiding in the demands and opinions of people (including myself), and not in Christ! It is when I do not take the time to listen to the voice of The Lord and allow His presence in me to permeate the very depths of my mind, soul and spirit, that my day falls apart around me as I try hopelessly to muddle through my own or others peoples agendas.

In fact, if I look back over my life, most of the worst of times have been as a result of my making decisions, changing direction or taking on something new, without first taking the time to listen to the council of The Holy Spirit. Instead of abiding firmly in the vine I have decided to dig my own hole, plant myself in it and have then been devastated when no fruit appeared.

I look back now and laugh at myself, as I wonder how I ever thought I could produce fruit in this way, and yet I realize that there are times that we don’t even see what we are doing, and so the only way we can know if we are really abiding in the vine is to look at the fruit our life is producing.

If I have no love, joy or peace in my life, I am not abiding in Christ and I am not allowing His presence to truly abide in and saturate my life.

So today ---- DON’T STRIVE --- ABIDE!!!!!!

Stay fervently focused,

Much love

Chrissy