John 15 in the Bible is an amazing chapter. John 15:1-5 are great verses for someone who just started out in their walks with the Lord. And great verses to remind a frustrated believer on why their plans are failing.
Out in my backyard, I have some plants/trees that illustrate where many believers are in their lives.
The Grape Vine - In the right season, this plant was pruned back. The vinedresser came along and pruned the branches. Now the season has come to bear fruit. And since the plant was pruned, there is much fruit. Vines spreading out and taking over, reaching over toward the neighbor's yard. God prunes us back to do just this, bear much fruit and reach over into our neighbor's life to love on them and share the fruit that God has given us.
The Peach Tree - This tree did NOT receive any pruning. It has too many branches on it. It had more, but they were so loaded down w/ imature fruit, they broke off. This can be us if we don't subject ourselves to God's pruning in our lives. Too much going on, trying to do too much. There are too many small peaches competing for the water and nutrients, yet none of them are really growing. Consider how our lives are spread so thin that our fruit is not maturing. Look at our kids, our time is spread so thin with them, too many things competing with our attention. Is our fruit (children) growing in the Lord? Are the ministries we're in growing? Or do we have too many commitments that keep us from being really useful and productive for the Lord? Let God prune your life. Let Him take out that which is competing with what He is truly calling you to do.
The Fruitless Pear Tree - This reminds me of older/hypocritical believers. They talk about how they go to church (most of the time), but they don't really serve, give, pray, read their Word, or spend time God. Look at the tree - FRUITLESS! So are believers who are NOT abiding in the Lord. No fruit. We see them far away at church, not up close and personal. They look 'fine' right? They stay at a distance, because when you get up close and personal - you see just how fruitless their lives are. Their kids are wayward, their spouse is aloof/disrespectful, they're broke, they're ill, they are APART from God. "He who abides in me, bears much fruit"....remember?
The Young Pear Tree - Although small, this tree is bearing some fruit. A couple that which may be edible. I think of young believers. Those that just came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They're on fire! They pray, they're always at church, they're plugged in serving, they have their Bible with them everywhere they go, they tell people about the hope they have in Jesus...everywhere they go. They are abiding in the vine, and despite being small/young in the Lord, they have fruit! GOAL: Stay of fire for Christ! (Don't let the fruitless, grumpy old believers tell you 'you're fire will burn out'. That only happens when you are NOT abiding in the vine, abiding in Christ, abiding in His presence.)
The Artichokes - The fruit was never picked. The plant needs a good pruning. We need to allow God to move in our lives. We need to follow His lead and give that which He has given us away. Freely you have received, freely you give (Matthew 10:8). We cannot keep the fruit that has matured in us. The gifts of the Spirit that God has imparted in us, we need to use for His purposes. We need to give more away, more time, money, energy, abilities. The more you give away, the more God will give you. You will have another season of bearing more fruit if you give away that which is ripe. Otherwise, you'll just begin to dry up or begin to decay from the inside out, from the ground up.
The Blueberry Bush - "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). This bush is apart from the water source, isolated and alone. Too many people are here. Too many are living apart from Jesus Christ. No Bible reading, no praying, no worshipping, no church, no friends who love God, no experiences of entering into the presence of God. Read up in John 4, Jesus is the Living Water. We need to hook up to the source of living water, Jesus Christ Himself. This little bush, apart from water, apart and alone from any other plants is dead. Dead, dead, dead. It didn't have to be this way. Had some water been provided, it could be bearing fruit. So you too, get to the source of life, Jesus Christ and begin to grow, flourish, and bear fruit. Be fruitful!
Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Get plugged into a Bible teaching church, one that teaches that Jesus Christ is the truth, the life, and the way (John 14:6). Pray and find yourself in the presence of God and let Him take out of your life that which is interfering with your peace, joy...sanity. What needs to go? Who needs to go? Let God remove them so that you can have total access to HIM....and then you will bear much fruit!
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