Devotion

The Vine... 

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).

This verse is a well known one in our learning community as it has been our school motto for something like 20 years! 

This verse comes from one of the stories or parables that Jesus told his disciples in the Bible so that we could understand better how He wants to live in a relationship with us. 

Over the last few weeks I have been doing a bit of a tidy up of our garden at home, getting ready for winter - and it is easy to think about how quickly a plant or a branch will turn brown and then and die when it is not watered often enough, or getting enough sunlight. We can keep flowers alive once we cut them for a little while if we place them in water in a vase. But without a proper source of sustenance, a plant or a cutting will very quickly die.

 Jesus gives us this example to teach us about how we can stay 'alive' as God's children and live out his purpose for us. Because Jesus is the source of all the nourishment we need to stay alive and be productive, we need to maintain that connection with him. This can involve things like regular Bible reading, prayer, and spending time with other Christians. These all help us to focus on God’s will for us, help us find answers to the challenges we face and give us encouragement when we lose energy and focus. But we also get to know God in a very personal way, feel safe and loved in his presence, and excited enough about our relationship with him that others observe his impact on our lives.

When we are feeling discouraged or ineffective, we need to go to where we are nourished - Jesus - and check how much we are doing these things.  It is also a good reminder to check whether we are focusing on all that God has done for us and is continuing to do for us?

Being connected to  Jesus  and receiving all the nurture it provides results in us producing fruit – fruit that others will see as coming from God himself, and stimulating their curiosity about it.

God, many of us have been trying to produce fruit for you, but we sometimes forget and rely on our own efforts and ideas. Thank you for reminding us that we can only produce fruit for you if we are connected to  Jesus. We give our lives to you, for you to achieve your will and purpose in us. Amen.

Blessings

Will Wallace

Principal