Jesus Is the Vine and I Am a Branch

"I am the vine; you are the branches.If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."John 15:5

Our yard seems to have developed a special invitation for the growth of Poison Ivy plants.  They're all over the place.  

I noticed that one particular plant grew "unnoticed" up the side of our house to the roof-top.  How I didn't see it must have been from sheer laziness on my part.Honestly, I very seldom go to that side of the house, so I'm not surprised that it grew unnoticed.

Not wanting to touch it for obvious reasons I decided to just cut the plant at ground level in two places leaving a sizable distance from the two points of cutting.  It didn't take very long for the plant to wither and die.  

Jesus put it this way, “Without Me, you can do nothing.”  Just like the poison ivy plant, we wither and die because our spiritual nutrient source gets cut off.

How do we keep from becoming withered? Stay connected.  How?

1. Acknowledge Him
2. Talk to Him
3. Read and follow His Word
4. Fellowship with His people

Nothing really new here.  It's rather simple.  When I acknowledge Him, it's a sign of humility.  

I'm praying, “God, I know You created me and I belong to You.  I can’t do anything without You. I need You in my life."

When I show that kind of dependency on God, He will move heaven and earth to get me to where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing.