Devotions with Pastor Delinda Jeronimo

For the past few days I have been chewing on John 15.

John 15:1-10 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!  When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.  I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.  When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”
 
I am not the best gardener, our first garden was overgrown with weeds, overcome by grasshoppers and it seemed all we could grow were okra and yellow squash.  This year our garden is small and our dog is eating all the veggies.  But, my family and I planted a grapevine in our backyard at the beginning of the summer; away from the garden and for some reason the dog is leaving that alone at the moment.  Now, it’s not producing anything, and we figure it will be a couple years before it does, so I have this time to figure out what I’m doing with it.
 
I found it interesting while researching a bit that when you remove the dead, or damaged growth, you are supposed to cut all the way back to the healthy wood.  Not just snap off the dead stuff, if you don’t, I read you are just inviting more disease and bugs. While I was chewing on this passage, I couldn’t help thinking about this, cut back all the way to the healthy wood...
 
I leave you with a few questions to think about:
1.  Are you attached to the vine?
2.  Why is important to intentionally be close to Jesus Christ?
3.  What is the ultimate purpose for bearing fruit?
4.  How do you remain in Christ’s love?
5.  What things are in your life that are inviting “disease” or “bugs” in, where do you need to allow Him, the great gardener to cut back in order to get to the healthy parts of you in order to continue to grow and bear fruit?
 
Blessings,
Pastor Delinda