As I lay considering the day and my lack of productivity there was one prominent thought in the back of my mind, one which came forward with an almost violent abandon: I AM THE TRUE VINE. The husbandman cometh. Branches that do not bear fruit are taken away. Immediately I saw a vine that had great leaves and was strong, but bore no fruit. Then I saw it laying on the ground, withered and dead.
Though I spoke not a word, my heart, which has been stone cold dead for so long, cried out to the Lord. Save me O God from my self and sinful nature. I drifted off to sleep to the piano music that I left playing on my laptop, no answer received.
This morning I woke around 5:45am to take out the trash and open the gate for Thom & Kay and da lil'man. After getting a cup of coffee, I decided to blog this morning and chose to make it about this new direction in my life. A physical declaration of my intention in my own words. So I decided to do some scripture reading this morning. Considering my lack of time spent in the Word lately, I had no idea where to begin. I decided to pick up Old Faithful, my Smith Wigglesworth devotional. I was not ready for what took place next.
Title: HE IS COMING!
James 5:7-8The study talks about the precious fruit of the earth... which is the church, the Body of Christ. I finished the study with a feeling of purpose, divine appointment if you will. I looked up 'husbandman' and found that it appears in 7 verses in the Bible. And there, in the comfort of my own room, God met me and told me what I needed to hear.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
John 15:1-5
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Abide in me, and I in you. I have known for a long time, as taught to me by a great saint whom God gave me study under, that the scriptures, and the DAILY study of them, is the washing of the Word. We must continually cleanse ourselves by reading God's Word. Have I been doing this? No. To my shame I have not. It is no wonder to me that my life has become the cesspool of shame that it has. ABIDE. For without me you can do nothing. My life is living proof of this. Believe me, I have tried. It's time to return, to abide.
It is amazing to me that God can be as forgiving as He is. With all the time I've lost, it took one heartfelt cry and He met me here, in my shame, just like He did the first time. I didn't have to clean myself up, not that I even could have though I have tried and failed miserably. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
God grant me the strength to abide in Your Word, the courage to find the day an opportunity for Your Glory, and the wisdom to follow Your Will for my life.
