God wants us to abide in Him and to rely on Him for everything. Practicing this takes a great deal of humility on our part. It may sometimes seem that we are able to do things on our own, but this is simply just not true! God’s Word says:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 NIV)
Let’s take a moment to reflect on the word nothing. The definition of the word nothing is “no single thing; not anything.” God’s use of the word nothing lets us know just how much he wants us to need Him in our lives. In order to remain in Him, we have to completely trust Him! Some personality types find it incredibly difficult to let go of trying to have some sort of control over all situations in life. It’s a fact that no matter how much we plan, life happens and things don’t always go the way we had anticipated them to. When we keep our focus on Him and learn to really trust God, we save ourselves lots of anxiety and stress. This is because we know that He knows what is best for us, has what is best for us, and will work everything together for our overall good- according to His perfect plan.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (Acts 17:28 NIV)
We should all take a moment to stop, rest in Him, and completely dwell in Jesus. When we do this, we are demonstrating truly what it looks like to fill our role as a branch to the Vine. With His Word living in us, we can bear more fruit than imaginable! As we abide in Jesus, we should remember that He also abides in us through His Word. We glorify the Lord when we show Him that we need Him!
Additional Verses for Further Study:
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
Prayer Starter:
Lord, I abide in you. Help me to remember that apart from you I can do nothing. I am thankful for Your Word. Your Words are true, powerful, and they give me life. I trust and know that You know and have what is best for me. Thank you, Father for your unfailing love and constant faithfulness to me.
