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<\/a>Now I\u2019m not a fan of cold weather, so I\u2019ve enjoyed this unseasonably warm winter. However, I must admit that I\u2019ve missed seeing snow. There is no green. It\u2019s all dried up. So everywhere you look here in Colorado is brown. Not very attractive. But that has all changed this morning.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I also will admit that when I moved from Ohio to Colorado, I never dreamed I would miss rain. But I do. When I can stand in the rain, I do so.<\/p>\n
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So what exactly am I doing out in the rain or in a falling snow? I\u2019m being refreshed. I\u2019m being rejuvenated. The feeling of life is being restored to my body.<\/p>\n
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At times, we encounter this same feeling within our souls. Everything is dried up. It\u2019s all brown. There\u2019s no green to be found. Sometimes we call this \u201cspiritual burn out.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Whatever we call it, we are not to be in this place. God never intended for us to be withered. So how does it happen? I believe it\u2019s because we\u2019ve cut ourselves off from the Vine.<\/p>\n
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Jesus speaks of this in John 15. He is the Vine. We are the branches. And over and over we are told to remain in Him. Apart from him we cannot survive. Connected to the Vine we thrive and bear fruit. But we must remain in Him.<\/p>\n
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In this section of Scripture (John 15:1-17 \u2013 NIV), Jesus repeats \u201cremain\u201d eleven times, \u201clove\u201d eight times, and \u201cbear fruit\u201d nine times. I believe these are the three main ideas He wants us to hear and put into practice in our lives.<\/p>\n
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So we are to remain in Him. A synonym search for remain renders such words as continue, endure, persist, keep on, stay and linger. Synonyms for the Greek word are abide, dwell, and live.<\/p>\n
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These words help me to understand the true meaning of remain. It\u2019s always. It\u2019s continuously. It\u2019s never-ceasing. But it\u2019s more than that. It\u2019s residence. It\u2019s permanence. It\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
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And the great news is that as we remain in Jesus, Jesus remains in us. Now that is a wonderful promise.<\/p>\n
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We are also to love. Love God and others are the two greatest commandments. And this passage once again points us in that direction. God loved Jesus and Jesus loved us and we are to remain in that love.<\/p>\n
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We see Jesus\u2019 love for us in verse 13. \u201cGreater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends.\u201d <\/em>Jesus\u2019 love for us is greater than we could ever imagine. What a shame it would be to step outside of His great love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And then we are to bear fruit. Actually, we are called to bear much fruit. And if we don\u2019t bear fruit, the gardener will cut off those branches. We will dry up, wither. There will be no life in us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You see, there is no life outside of Jesus. There is nothing outside of Him. So we must bear fruit. It is our lifeline.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By bearing fruit, we show the world that we belong to Jesus. By obeying God\u2019s commands, we show our love to the Father and the Son.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The end results of remaining, loving, and bearing fruit for us are greater yet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We receive joy. Jesus\u2019 joy. Complete joy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We become Jesus\u2019 friend. A friend who is in the know. A friend whom Jesus died for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are chosen. Chosen to go and bear fruit. Fruit that will last.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are given what we ask for. Through the power of Jesus\u2019 Name, our requests are granted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I don\u2019t see any reason not to follow Jesus\u2019 commands here. We receive so many benefits by remaining in Jesus, loving God and others, and bearing fruit. Why would we want to remain in a withered state?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a great hymn written in 1890 that I thought of yesterday. As I sang through the words, I was reminded of how God wants to work in my life. That as I remain in Him, I am sheltered from the \u201cdesert\u201d this life offers that continues to dry up and wither my soul.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As you read through the words of \u201cHe Hideth My Soul,\u201d I pray that you\u2019ll see just how beneficial it is to remain in Him. It is a great comfort to me this morning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,<\/p>\n A wonderful Savior to me;<\/p>\n He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,<\/p>\n Where rivers of pleasure I see.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,<\/p>\n He taketh my burden away;<\/p>\n He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,<\/p>\n He giveth me strength as my day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,<\/p>\n And filled with His fullness divine;<\/p>\n I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God,<\/p>\n For such a Redeemer as mine!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise,<\/p>\n To meet Him in clouds of the sky;<\/p>\n His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,<\/p>\n I\u2019ll shout with the millions on high.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chorus:<\/p>\n He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,<\/p>\n That shadows a dry, thirsty land;<\/p>\n He hideth my life in the depths of His love,<\/p>\n And covers me there with His hand,<\/p>\n And covers me there with His hand.[i]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donna<\/p>\n