“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.” (John 15:1-4)
God is awesome! His love runs deep and wide. When you choose to follow Jesus, a bond occurs that is nothing like any relationship that you have on earth. Your marriage can’t compare, your children don’t even come close, not even grandchildren. This is hard for me to rationalize on my own, but God has lured me long enough that I have found this bond with Jesus to be beyond anything else I know! I love my husband, kids, and grandsons, but the relationship I have with the Trinity is beyond my comprehension.
Has God brought you to a place where trusting Him is causing you to run away, you are done with this faith journey? Are you struggling to understand what God is doing with you, what He wants you to do next? Has He taken you out of one season and you haven’t quite entered the next one? I am in this position. I was in the raising my kids, getting them launched on their own season while serving in several ministries. All that has come to an end, and I am know waiting on the Lord for my next assignment. I feel that retirement with my husband won’t be what I think it will be. Actually, Rob and I don’t know what it will look like. God has us trusting Him and waiting on Him. In the meantime, God has the both of us serving together rather than separately like we have before.
Welcome to your faith in the Lord where the bond is eternal, and you only need Him.
In this waiting and wondering, God is preparing me for what lies ahead. He has been stretching my faith, testing my level of trust in Him, and having me face fears that I hide deep inside me. I am coming out stronger, more God-confident, and freer, but man it’s hard. In John 6:60-71, I can so relate to Jesus’ disciples. Many turned away and deserted Him. They had enough of this arduous journey called faith. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve, “Are you also going to leave?”
Is God asking you this same question?
As hard as my sanctification process has been, God has taken me to a place just like His beloved Peter. Peter faced enough stuff, hard stuff, that his reply to Jesus is my response as well, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God.”68-69
God often asks me, “Carol, when I have ever not been there for you?” “Um, Lord, never,” I have to admit. “That’s right. I won’t stop now!” And my spirit turns back around and I face my Lord. He fills me back up with Himself and we walk together basking in the day at hand. I am strong and complete in these lovely moments for the bond I have with Jesus is like no other. HE IS THE ONE that keeps me moving forward in faith.
“We are constantly tempted to look within ourselves to seek to find some reason why God should love us. Such searching is, of course, usually discouraging. We usually find within ourselves reasons why we think God should not love us. Such searching is also unbiblical. The Bible is quite clear that God does not look within for a reason to love us. He loves us because we are in Christ Jesus. When He looks at us, He does not look at us as ‘stand alone Christians’, resplendent in our own good works, even good works as Christians. Rather, He looks at us, He sees us united to His beloved Son, clothed in His righteousness. He loves us, not because we are lovely in ourselves, but because we are in Christ.” (Trusting God by Jerry Bridges, pages 139-140)
You are bonded in Christ forever my friend. I am bonded in Christ forever too. Reread the John passage and allow God to speak tenderly to your soul. What may He have for you so you can become fruitful for His Kingdom? Be willing to follow, fully surrendered. He won’t let you go, I promise. And also promise that He will be with you each day.
Carol J German 