Isaiah 58:12 (NIV)
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
John 15:1-4 (NIV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also 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 invite you to reflect on these chapters of Scripture (Isaiah 58 and John 15) and see what Jesus draws your attention to.
For me, it’s how growth takes time. If you have ever sat and looked at a tree that has fruit growing, its growth is imperceptible. The fruit grows slowly and the change is not visible in one sitting. But after a while, when you come back, you see progress as the fruit has ripened.
Jesus invites us to abide in Him (remain, rest). He invites us into a lifelong abiding. We abide with Him and He abides with us. Our growth is His work. We simply abide. We trust Him and seek Him. He grows us in Him and leads us to people around us. Households in communities are transformed in the name of Jesus. Cities and nations and generations are impacted in the name of Jesus. It all starts with abiding in Him. Remaining in Him. Loving Him.
As we abide today, let’s listen to what Jesus is speaking to us through His word. Let’s pray as He leads us.
Here are a couple of songs that I wanted to share with you.
