John 15:5–8
‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’(v5)
As life whistles past and our world is in perpetual movement, God remains the only unchangeable reality. Celebrating or weeping, Jesus is our constant (Heb. 13:8). At times all we can do is cling to little more than a shadow of the one we knew so intimately previously.
Our mistake is to let go in the hope of finding a more satisfying source of help and hope. It is truly humbling to accept that without God I am and can do nothing. So in everything we must learn that God is our only trustworthy point of reference. Like a point of presence, He’s our local access who allows us to connect to His presence. We can surf the Holy Spirit highway, even though at times we find ourselves in a dead spot. Wait a while and we can connect again.
Perhaps it’s in the waiting that we lose our focus and confidence in God’s provision. There are insurmountable life issues before us, yet we don’t need faith if we have the natural capacity to rise above and conquer each setback, disappointment and loss challenging us on our mortal pilgrimage.
On occasion we must remember to cling to God, even as the tectonic plates of our life experience shift and create a chaos which we lack the personal resources to endure. Too often the idea of abiding in Christ is presented as a comfortable, cuddly experience. Often it is hanging on by our fingertips as we hurtle along on life’s roller coaster aka our life’s wildernesses.
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Deut. 10:12–22; Job 2:1–10; Rom. 8:31–39; Heb. 10:19–25.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: Take some time to watch this YouTube clip of Matt Maher singing You Were on the Cross.
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, help me to remain in Christ no matter the storms of life that overwhelm me. Amen.’
Photo by Akshay Gupta on pixahive
