Plugged In
“‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15: 1-2; 4)
God is the ultimate power source. If you’re feeling drained maybe you need to plug in. The branch must stay connected to the vine. Plug into God’s presence, plug into His Word. While it is great to go on spiritual retreats and spend hours with the Lord, even a millisecond makes a difference. When I pull away from my phone and the noise of the world, God can communicate a clear Word. A few seconds with God supersedes hours with any guru or expert. His words are personalized and actionable. When I get quiet with God, I get instructions e.g. new topics for blogs or nudges for people I should check-in on.
Again I stress, a moment with God makes all the difference. Issues we wrestle with for days, even years, can be changed–whether that’s a new perspective or a complete healing.
“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ‘You see the people crowding against you,’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5: 24-34)
The woman with the issue of blood, emphasizes a proximity to Jesus. When we lean in, our lives change.
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance–” (Proverbs 1:5)
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
“If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15: 10-11)
I encourage you to pause and listen for God. He is always nearby and always available, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year!
“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121: 3-4)
