As we saw yesterday, Christ said that "these things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. What things you might ask? Please, I need to know what things that I might in the midst of this worlds sorrows cling to a hope for joy, you might plead. So let’s look at what Christ had just said.
15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 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.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 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.
5 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.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
He had declared that He was the vine and we the branches. The only life giving, joy flowing, energy filling source is found through Him. We cannot bare the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith Galatians 5:22) unless we first have the life-flowing sap of the vine in us. Christ is that means by which we may be grafted into the vine. A vine; however, that is not pruned does not bear fruit. If not tended by the husbandman (God), the branches would grow wildly with hundreds of shoots going off in wild directions. Those shoots do not bear fruit. Sounds a lot like us and our desires running into a thousand directions with little true purpose; ahh, but such is the human race.
Then how do we ever learn to abide in the vine. Is it a hopeless dream that I will ever become a fruit laden branch for God? Can this regenerate, willful branch ever learn to be fully submitted to Him and quit trying to prove itself by trying to do the work for God? Will I ever reach that point that I do not weep over the pruning when God so wisely removes those desires I am clinging so tightly to; in order that I might wholeheartedly seek the only true treasure which is God, Alone. He must continually cut away those counterfeit joys in order that I might seek and savor the only true joy which I can find in Him. Ever so gently He has provided me with glimpses of His Joy and His Glory; knowing that the magnitude of His Wondrous Glory, Love and Joy are too great for this human heart to fully comprehend. Yet, I have felt His Joy just enough to know I want and desire it with all of my heart and soul. I have seen just enough of His Glory to know that I hunger and thirst after Him as the greatest treasure. Still there are moments when life with all its trials, sorrows and demands seem to blur my vision. The depth of sorrow that comes is even greater in those moments because I have tasted of His Joy and His Glory. I hunger and thirst after Him. Like David in Psalm 27: 4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. ..8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.”
As we come to realize that His beauty, His Glory is greater to be desired than anything we have ever imagined; we seek Him and savor Him. We begin prizing Him, cherishing Him, loving Him above any other treasure; yet, this does not mean that our sorrow is completely gone while we are yet in this world. We are never beyond the battle on this earth against negativity even within our own hearts. We do however battle for joy in the midst of all this sorrow. We may be broken heartedly clinging tight to that joy which we now have seen glimpses of and hold very tightly to it; because nothing else on this earth can ever compare to it. (Excerpt from Ultimate Inspiration-God’s Plan of Love)
When we see Him as our greatest treasure and have glimpsed at His Glory as that which we desire most; then we can see beyond the pain that we might feel at this moment to glance at the portrait that God is weaving within our lives- a portrait of His Son. Only He can see the upper side and only He knows how all the threads when woven together will portray His Glory and His Son to a world is such dire need of Him. We too often look at the moment and forget to focus on the "big picture" which only God can see. I can trust Him with each detail. Only then can I say as did Paul the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 6: "4 in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
Oh, that we will never lose heart fighting for Joy in Christ, no matter how the hurricane winds of sorrow, pain, and guilt surround us each day in this world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygx4Qe27lBw
Tomorrow we will look a little deeper into Abiding.