There are times in everyone’s life when we should pray and never lose hope, but somehow, we think we can do everything in our lives without calling on God for help. I say, “Always pray and never, ever, give up hope for the Lord, our God, is giving us the sense of His presence in every moment of our lives. All we need do is open our hearts to Him and all things will become possible. The greatest gift we could ever receive is God Himself.”
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5 KJV)
God is the Master gardener whose goal it is to care for the vines and branches of every flower, bush, and tree. He prunes away any dead branches so that new growth will appear. Christ is the strong vine, the transporter of all good things to the branches such as love, joy, peace, hope, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. We, as God’s children, are the abiding branches of each flower, bush, and tree. Because we abide in Him, we stay connected to Him, we always show up, and we don’t wander off. In our tough times, there will be many, we are to stay connected to Christ, and His light will guide us home to the Promised Land.
The way to face tomorrow’s problems is to remain true to Christ today. You cannot bear fruit on your own. With Christ, all things are possible. With God, miracles abound in our lives when we are willing to have faith the size of mustard seeds.
In our fast-moving world where it is hard to find time to sit quietly in the presence of God, it is important that we remember that “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.” (movie- God’s Not Dead) When we request His help in our prayers, it is also important to make those requests before we need His help. As we begin our journeys every day, He will walk with us by the River Jordan. When we sense struggles are coming, we need to hang onto Christ, and He will abide in us as we abide in Him. At the end of the day as we lay our heads on soft pillows, we should ask ourselves how we succeeded in solving our problems for that day. I ask this simple question: “Did I abide in Christ today?” With all of my heart as a branch of God’s flowers, bushes, and trees, I am thankful that He walked beside me, for everything was possible with Him. As for tomorrow, I know He will provide for all of my needs as I cling to the tree of life, Jesus Christ.
Anna Hartt
