Friday, October 30, 2020

HANG IN THERE

Today’s Reading: John 15-16

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

 

Orange trees are planted in the rich soil beneath Mount Herman in northern Israel.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: John 15:4

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.

 

Those delicious oranges pictured above must be connected to the branch and the branch must be connected to the trunk in order to be all that they were meant to be. This is the design of the Creator. The example Jesus uses is the same. He is the Vine and we are the branches. In order to fulfill the purpose for which we are created, we must keep connected with Jesus 24/7. This is not a struggle; it’s simply abiding. We just hang in there. We rest in Jesus and His life flows into us. The ingredients of His life are listed here in our reading – LOVE (15:9) – JOY (15:11 & 16:22) – THE HELPER, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH – (15:26 & 16:7) – PEACE (16:33). Relax, abide, and let His life flow. We should take note that what He desires will also flow into us. Our desires will be His desires. This is the secret to receiving what we desire. We must find out what He desires and ask accordingly. It will “be done for you” (15:7 & 16:24).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I’m abiding, hanging in there, relaxing in the sure knowledge that Your life is flowing into me and through me to produce delicious fruit. When someone picks my fruit, may they taste the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

At times in life I have, figuratively, taken myself by the scruff of the neck and tried to drag myself into doing what I knew I should do. Frankly, it doesn’t work. It’s frustrating, hard work, and produces rotten fruit. In the early 1970’s, we had a peach tree in our back yard which bore delicious fruit. Early one morning I went outside to pray, and I learned the lesson of the peach tree. I observed that it didn’t struggle. It didn’t push. It didn’t jump up and down in its effort to produce the fruit the Creator intended. It just simply knew enough to “abide.” I relaxed and decided to do the same. I prayed only for those things I knew Jesus desired. I knew His desires because I was faithful in daily reading what He had to say to me in His Word. This blog is an extension of that understanding. He is the Vine. I am a branch. Perhaps the Internet is the twig that enables the fruit to be there for the picking and eating.

Yours for productive lives,

David

A few days ago we read John 9, which referred to the pool of Siloam.  On the 100 Huntley Street telecast a Jewish archaeologist was a guest. He shared about the healing of the blind man who was instructed to wash in the pool of Siloam. It was new and exciting information for me. Check out this interview by clicking here!

10 thoughts on “Friday, October 30, 2020

  1. “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

    Thank You, Lord Jesus. You are always and forever good and worthy of all praise. Thank You for all Your faithful ones. In Jesus’s great name, amen

  2. What an amazing blog today. I have never been to the Holy Land but I learn so much from the experiences of others via 100 Huntley Street. We did go on bus trips with David & Norma Jean, ie, to me Sound and Light theatre & others. Always great times. Opened my curtains this am & saw light snow falling! My daughter in Calgary has had snow on the ground several times already!! I will miss the beautiful coloured leaves around us that are getting quite thin now. “Hanging in there” as our topic for today says!

  3. Amen,Doreen.Patience with ourselves (abiding) is much less difficult when we read this scripture.We learn that patience is a virtue to nourish,watering it with time to produce good fruit?
    There seem to be endless videos that confirm the bible but I wonder;perhaps they are meant for those chosen by God already,as encouragement, and for those still seeking Him as bread crumbs?Have a blessed day.

  4. What a great illustration of abiding, the peach tree in your back yard; “it didn’t push, or jump up and down to produce, it just knew to ‘abide’ “

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