Daily Devotionals
august 16, 2021
Our Peachtree Church email devotionals this week, August 16-20, will be written by Peachtree’s Student Ministry staff.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:1-8
Think of some of your favorite duos. Perhaps it’s the brilliant culinary combination of peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese. Maybe it’s the famous pairing of Lucy and Ethel or Woody and Buzz. Perhaps it’s my personal favorite, Andy and April from the television show “Parks and Recreation.” These duos are not the same without their counterparts, and I would argue they are made better by their other half. (I think we all agree macaroni is irrelevant without a five-cheese blend in the mix.)
John 15 introduces us to the strengthening partnership Jesus desires to have with each of us. Jesus says that apart from Him we have nothing. Apart from Jesus, we will never bear fruit. Apart from Jesus, we will never be fulfilled. John 15 reminds us how desperately we need to remain close to Jesus, who wants us to be so attached to Him that our identity is fully intertwined with His.
In our noisy world today, it is becoming more and more difficult for us to stay focused on Jesus and remain in Him. But as Christians this partnership is our calling. While the influence of the world wants us to fall away from the true vine of Christ and wither, Jesus wants us near. We should pursue the love and life of Christ daily so that our identity will be rooted in His teachings. Only then will we find abundant life.
For Reflection
When is the last time I felt truly close to Jesus?
What or who prevents me from remaining attached to the true vine of Jesus?
What can I do in my day-to-day routine to remind myself that Jesus loves me and wants to help me grow?
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for the sweet reminder of John 15 that You love us and desire to be in relationship with us. We don’t need to do anything for You to love us. Without You, Lord, we will never understand the true glory of life, which is to know the world as You do. Lord, help us this week to remain in You and ignore the noise of the world, which demands so much of our attention. Thank You for loving us every single day. Amen.
Follow Us