Growing Through Prayer (A 'Loving God Greatly' Bible Study)
January 22, 2016
Week 2 ~ Day 5
Read: John 15:1-5
SOAP: John 15:5
S:
“I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same
bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” – HNV
"I am the vine and you are
the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who
bear much fruit; because apart from me you can't do a thing.” - CJB
O&A:
The first two statements strike
me because they are stated so matter-of-factly by Yeshua. He knows who he is, and what his purpose is. Do I?
Do I really know him, and do I know and believe
that I am his? Do I really believe that
I am dependent on him? Do I really
believe that everything comes from him? Sometimes
it’s easy to remember it, and believe it, and abide in it. Sometimes, though, it’s a trial. Today is what we lovingly know as Prep Day –
prepping for Shabbat. I’m late in my
study because of all of the preparation that has taken place, but I kept
thinking, “I’ll do my studying after I finish this task,” and then another task
came up, and then I realized that I was recognizing a much stronger pain in my
back than usual; a certain, unfortunately familiar pain that is associated with
a healing herniated disc. Total monkey
wrench in my plans! It not only caused
me to slow down, but brought me to a complete halt of all of my activities. However, I am refreshed spiritually, although
hurting physically. This is a real-life
application of how the Ruach Kodesh/Holy Spirit and my carnal being are at odds
with one another, lol. My spirit sings
as my body cries. If I were not rooted
in Messiah, I think my spirit would scream out as my body rallied against
me.
Without Messiah, I cannot do a
thing, or as some interpretations say, anything.
According to the Thayer’s Greek
Lexicon, here is a break-down on some of the things that jumped out to me:
The vine: Messiah calls himself a
vine, because, as the vine imparts to its branches sap and productiveness, so
Messiah infuses into his followers (believers) his own divine strength and
life.
The branches: a tender and
flexible branch; the shoot/branch of a vine; a vine-sprout.
Bears much fruit: brings forward à fruits – used of men’s deeds as exponents of their
hearts; Hebrew word is periy: the result of labor or endeavor
Remains in me: to maintain
unbroken fellowship with one; to be continually operative in him by his divine
influence and energy; to be rooted as it were in Messiah, knit to him by the
Spirit they (we) have received from him; kept continually.
P:
Oh, Abba, this morning You began
to speak into me wonderful words of wisdom from this verse, and as many times
as our family has come to this scripture passage, I should have so much more to
type! But alas, you are my Elohim, and
if you don’t allow me to write it now, I will not force it. Thank you, Abba, for these that you told me
are real-life applications. It is one
thing to read the scriptures, and another to understand them, and even more to
apply that which You are teaching us!
How I have called on You today due to this pain, this thing I view as a
restriction! And You have answered, as
You love to do with Your children. Thank
you, Abba, for the Vine in which I may abide, and that You abide in me; You
give me life-sustaining nutrients, the air I breathe, the Son by which I am
able to grow. I pray Abba that the fruit
I bear is pleasing to You, and whatever there is that is in me that is not of
You, that You cut it off, my Gardener.
Let all that comes from me bring You glory.
In Yeshua’s name, Amein.
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