Fresh from the Vine

However long we’ve been a believer we still only have abundant life through abiding in the vine. Apart from the life of Jesus, we have no life. It’s only abundant life as long as we are ‘in Him’. You can’t produce this kind of life from flesh alone. Flesh can only produce flesh. The Holy Spirit produces spiritual life in your spirit.

We can’t take our bottle and fill it at the fountain head, and then give it to others as living water. It will be stagnant. We can only stay at the fountain source, with clean cups, until they overflow on to others. Then there will be blessing all around. We can’t give people yesterday’s dregs. We need to be filled all the time. People don’t want dregs; they want the fresh sweet presence of God. We can’t collect yesterday’s manna and eat it the next day. God provides for each day from His table.

W may also find people giving out substitute, fast or canned spiritual food. It omits the real truth and doesn’t give the ‘living bread’, the ‘water of life` - the sweet truth in Jesus. People then think that God isn’t real and they’re dissatisfied.

Only when, as His people, we stay locked into the vine will we be fresh, fruitful and powerful - like salt and light. And through us God can reveal Himself to the world.
So let’s leave our stale bread, broken cisterns, cracked cups and bitter wine, and come and drink and live, and never thirst again.

When I pray I don’t want to substitute a lot of empty words for anointed prayer through the Holy Spirit, or false pride for clean hands and a pure heart, or strange fire for a sacrifice of praise (Leviticus 10:2). How about you?

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that there’s more than enough grace, love and forgiveness for all my need. Help me to stay close enough to You today to produce the fruit that is fresh from the vine. Amen.