April 14

“Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” —JOHN 15:4

Being in communion with God is essential if we’re going to be in a living relationship with Him. We could ask many Christians about talking to God or listening to God and they won’t understand what we’re saying. We could ask, “What does God say about this or that?” and they wouldn’t know because they’re not living in an active relationship with Him.

By the same token, we can have a wedding, a marriage certificate, a home and even children, but still not be living in an active relationship with our spouse. We all too often get tied up with the pressure of bills, work and other commitments that we fail to communicate on any kind of personal level. Without realizing it, we can lose touch with what we first found so appealing in our spouse, and sadly, we’ve distanced ourselves.

The same thing can happen in our relationship with God. There needs to be daily communion with Him, commitment to Him and a longing for Him. Jesus said, “Remain in me and I will remain in you.” That is a two-way street in which Jesus intends for us to have an intimate relationship with Him so that He may live His life in us. He is the vine, we are the branches, and if we are to bear fruit, we need to bring Him into every aspect of our lives, and that can only be done by communion with Him.

Jesus also said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We were created to live in dependence on Christ, operating in His strength, His wisdom and His direction, but if we lack communication, then like any relationship, it becomes stagnant and fruitless. Intimate communion with Christ brings a living freshness that motivates and energizes us to where we live each day in anticipation of what God will do in our lives. When our hearts and minds are aligned with God, we become one with Him, and people begin to take notice of the life of Christ lived in us. And the life of Christ lived in us is the essence of the Gospel.

PRAYER: Dear Precious Lord, I am not only overwhelmingly grateful, but incredibly moved by how You love me. Thank You for coming into my life and making your home in me. I pray that our relationship grows deeper and stronger and that I will be a branch that bears fruit for You.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I living in daily communion with Christ and sharing an intimate relationship with Him?