Hi, Everyone!

Susie Larson here...

Before I get into my topic, I want to mention that I will be giving away a $10.00 Caribou gift card to one of you in January. Like coffee, smoothies, green tea? Post a time or two this month and share what God is doing in your life! Your name might be drawn for a sweet treat!

For those who are visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Many of you know that I've made it no secret that I'm no Martha Stewart. My friends say I don't give myself enough credit, but I say that I am a one-time wonder.

I can plant one kind of flower, maybe two, and it will thrive. I can make one kind of dinner, maybe three, and it will taste fairly good and nobody will get sick afterwards. I can decorate, to a degree, but I don't care about it enough to see my projects through to completion.

I remember a particular year when I was especially busy, and when spring approached, I was even too tired to plant flowers. One of my neighbors gave me the great idea of putting fake, plastic flowers in my hanging baskets outside!

What an idea!

Without further thought, I went to the store, purchased some bright, plastic flowers, and stuffed them into my hanging pots. Beautiful!

Beautiful that is, until the first spring showers. Rain is good for real flowers, but not so good for fake ones.

Though I thought I had saved time by not buying and planting real flowers, I really gained nothing. I spent time and money on a counterfeit and that's what I got.

Jesus calls Himself the Vine and He calls us the branches. We are to abide in Him and bear much fruit. He strongly stated, "Apart from Me, you-can-do-nothing."

When we strive on our own, we disconnect ourselves from the life-sap required to do His will.

When we get ahead of God, our branches thin out, our leaves wither, and our fruit ends up under-developed, and that's our fault.

When we take shortcuts because we're tired of waiting through the process, we plant fake flowers, and when the rain - that's meant to nourish - falls on us, our work is easily uprooted.

Our job is to stay connected to the Vine. Our job is to be the branch. Our job is to abide so closely with the Lord, that fruit super-naturally grows in every area of our lives.

Read on...

In the 1800's, Henry Drummond wrote, "A man may think he is doing God's work when he is not even doing God's will."

You may be doing lots of good things with your time, but are you sure they are "God-things?"

Dare to ask the Lord in prayer:

"In what areas of my life am I producing fake fruit?

In what areas of my life am I getting ahead of You?

In what areas of my life have I taken Your dream for me, into my own hands?"

I once did a word study on the word "abide" and I was blessed to find out that at its core, abide means "to be held."

What a beautiful thought!

There's no striving to bear fruit; fruit is born out of a place of rest and assurance that the Vine will supply everything the branch needs to fulfill its calling.

The branch doesn't need to remind the Vine of its job. On the contrary, the branch needs to remember its very specific calling to abide, and thus to bear fruit.

Just as any vineyard keeper will cut off useless branches from the vine, so will the Divine Vineyard Keeper cut away any branch that does not bear fruit.

As first that seems cruel, but it isn't. In order for a fruit-less branch to remain on the vine, it needs to continually take nourishment away from the other branches, causing them to bear less fruit.

God is protective of His investment because we are dear to Him and because He wants "our fruit" to feed a world in need.

Read this powerful passage from John 15:1-8, 16-17...

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

Remember, being cut away and being pruned may look like similar actions, but they are for very different purposes.

You may be in a season where God is "cutting you back" from lesser priorities and worthless affections, but don't despair because He is getting you ready to bear much fruit.

Notice in the passage above, the powerful promise made to us who remain in Him:

(v.16)"...then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

When we cultivate the abiding life, His desires become our desires, His convictions become our convictions, and His prayers become our prayers.

When you abide in Him and you ask for His Kingdom to come to bear in your situation, His answer will always be yes.

Here are two declarations that I make on a regular basis. These statements of faith help keep me rooted and grounded in Him:

I thank You by faith, dear Lord, that there's no striving in me because I know that You are God. (See Psalm 46:10)

I will abide in You, and I know that You will establish me. (See John 15)

Don't settle for fake fruit, for under-developed fruit, or for a less-than harvest.

God wants your life so fruitful that your fruit keeps bearing fruit long after you're gone! Imagine that! Imagine making such an impact in your lifetime that others continue to be blessed and nourished even after you've left this earth.

Be blessed as you rest in Him this week!

Determine that you - the branch, and Jesus - the Vine will be absolutely inseparable.

Rest in Him - He will establish you.