January 8 | John 15:4-5

“Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it keeps abiding in the Vine, neither you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. One who continually abides in me and I in Him, this one keeps on bearing much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

So many people in this world rely on themselves and their own resources. But what happens when we come to the end of ourselves? The American ideal is to be independent, yourself up by your own bootstraps. But what if somebody took your boots?

You don’t have to rely on yourself alone. Jesus is the powerful source through whom you do all things. He is your connection. But He’s much more than that. Jesus is your Friend and Vine. He gives you life, power to live and please God.

When you are overwhelmed, you can turn to Jesus. He understands you more than anyone. You are never alone because Jesus is with you.

You must be in Him by abiding in Him. To abide means to live, to remain, to stay in Him. Your relationship with Jesus comes first. If you don’t grow deeper in Jesus, you won’t have success in doing anything for Him.

Action Step: If you want to do great things for God, you must deepen your walk with Christ. Devote time to developing your relationship with Jesus this year. Spending more time with Jesus is never a waste of time.

Jesus, I want to know You more. I want to seek You more this year. Interrupt my schedule and destroy my planner. If I don’t have You, I don’t have anything. Nothing I do is worth anything to me if I don’t spend time with You.