September15 2018—John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches: He that stays in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
– John 15:5

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Pondering these two verses, I realized: Through telling the parable of the vine and its branches, the Lord Jesus told us that it is very important to establish a proper relationship with God. The Lord compared us to the branches and compared Himself to the vine. Our relationship with the Lord is like the relationship between vine branches and the vine. Away from the vine, the branches will lose the supply of life and get withered and then die. Only by constantly living before God, reading His words and putting the Lord’s words into practice, can we be watered and fed by the Holy Spirit and bear the fruit of life. Conversely, if we often stray far from God, cling to the world and live in the enjoyment of the flesh and material benefits, but seldom read God’s words or pray to Him, then we will have no proper relationship with Him, nor do we have the work of the Holy Spirit. It can be seen that establishing a proper relationship with God is the foundation for entering into life.

So how to establish a proper relationship with God? I read a passage from a spiritual book, “People believe in God, love God, and satisfy God by touching the Spirit of God with their heart, thereby obtaining His satisfaction; when engaging with God’s words with their heart, they are therefore moved by the Spirit of God. If you wish to achieve a proper spiritual life and establish a proper relationship with God, you must first give your heart to Him, and quiet your heart before Him. Only after you have poured your whole heart into God can you gradually develop a proper spiritual life.” From these words we can see: If we want to establish a proper relationship with God, we must give our hearts to Him and often quiet our hearts before Him. Of our whole beings, it is our hearts that God places great stock in. Just as the Bible says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). God is a Spirit. Only with our hearts can we connect ourselves to His Spirit and establish a proper relationship with Him.