February 5 Devotion - "I am the vine, you are the branches"

 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

 

وَقَالَ يَسُوعُ: «أنَا الكَرمَةُ الحَقِيقِيَّةُ وَأبِي الكَرَّامُ. 2 وَهُوَ يَقْطَعُ كُلَّ غُصْنٍ فِيَّ لَا يُنتِجُ ثَمَرًا، وَيُنَقِّي كُلَّ غُصْنٍ مُثْمِرٍ لِكَي يُنتِجَ ثَمَرًا أكْثَرَ. 3 أنْتُمُ الآنَ أنقِيَاءُ بِسَبَبِ التَّعلِيمِ الَّذِي أعْطَيْتُهُ لَكُمْ. 4 اثبُتُوا فِيَّ وَأنَا سَأثْبُتُ فِيكُمْ. لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ الغُصْنُ أنْ يُنتِجَ ثَمَرًا وَحْدَهُ، إلَّا إذَا ثَبَتَ فِي سَاقِ الكَرمَةِ. كَذَلِكَ أنْتُمْ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ أنْ تُنتِجُوا ثَمَرًا إلَّا إذَا ثَبَتُّمْ فِيَّ.

5 «أنَا الكَرمَةُ، وَأنْتُمُ الأغْصَانُ. فَمَنْ يَثْبُتُ فِيَّ وَأثبُتُ أنَا فِيهِ، يُنتِجُ ثَمَرًا كَثِيرًا. فَأنْتُمْ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ أنْ تَفْعَلُوا شَيْئًا بِدُونِي.

John 15:1-5

Without Jesus we cannot do anything that is spiritually good. Nothing can be accomplished "without Christ", without His Spirit, grace, strength, and presence. Were it possible for believers that are truly in Him, to be removed from Him, they could bring forth no spiritual fruits or fruits of good works, any more than a branch separated from the vine can bring forth grapes; so that all the fruitfulness of a believer is to be ascribed to Christ, and His grace, and not to our own free will and power.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your unfailing, inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me and Your abundant blessings in my life. Thank You Jesus that I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of Your life. Jesus, I pray that You abide in me, and I in You. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can I, unless I abide in You Jesus. Jesus please strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can bear much fruit; for without You Jesus I can do nothing. In the name of The King of kings and Lord of lords, in the holy name of Jesus I pray. To Jesus be the glory, the majesty, the power, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein