Remain in Me
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4 NLT
Today, I woke up with a heavy heart. The memories were overwhelming my heart. I went to the Lord and lay my heart and the pain as I cried out to Him and told Him that my heart could no longer bear the pain and regrets of the past. “Lord, why can I let go? Help me, Jesus, I can’t do this without you,” I said. Suddenly, the Lord led me to read John 15:4.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. ” I have read this verse many times; my last two postings were related to Jesus being the vine, and we are His branches. But today, He spoke to me about something else.
“Abide” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary means “to remain; to stay.” The Lord showed me to continue to remain in Him and depend on Him every day, every moment, and to trust that He will finish the work He began in me. In the meantime, while I wait, delight in His presence because He’s happy with me at every stage of my spiritual growth. He’s not waiting for me to be perfect to love me. He will never love me more than He already loves me.
Friends, I don’t know if you can relate to being in a waiting period where you’re struggling not being the person you know God created you to be, or perhaps you’re going through a difficult time, and you’re wondering why God is not moving the way you want Him to. Be encouraged, beloved; God will never give up on you. Things may not happen as fast as we like, but be confident knowing that God is with you and loves you; He’s faithful and will complete the work He began in you.
Father, thank You for loving me despite my past and present. You are holy and faithful. Father, let your will be done in me as in Heaven. Help me to delight in Your presence daily as I wait for You to complete the work You began in me. Thank you for your blessings, mercy, and grace. Thank you for always listening to me when I call out to you. Although I can’t see you, I know You’re beside me, embracing me and wiping all my tears. Thank you for being my Father. In Jesus’ name, I give you praises, amen.
Reference
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. (1996). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Foundation.
Merriam-Webster (n.d.). Vinedresser. In the Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 1, 2023 https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/vinedresser
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Celeste Almodovar-Caporusso
I have often asked the Lord if writing is His calling in my life; after all, I'm a teacher, not a writer. Through the Book of Luke, in the New Testament, the Lord taught me that Luke had no idea that his study would ever impact our life. He wrote for the One, his friend, Theophilus. Yet, God used Luke, a doctor, to share the truth about Who Jesus was and why He came. So, why do I write? I write to share the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done in my life.
