You Are the Branch: by Andrew Murray

 

John 15:5

You are the branches.

What a simple thing it is to be a branch—the branch of a tree, or of a vine! The branch grows out of the vine and there it lives and bears fruit. It has no responsibility except receiving sap and nourishment from the root and stem.

If we only realized that our relationship to Jesus Christ, by way of the Holy Spirit, is like this! Instead of soul-weariness or exhaustion, our work would be a new experience, linking us to Jesus as nothing else can. I must understand, when I have to work, when I have to preach a sermon, or when I have to address a Bible class, that all the responsibility of the work is His. Christ desires that the very foundation of all your work should be this simple, blessed consciousness: Christ must care for everything.

Is it not often true that our work comes between us and Jesus? What folly it is to allow the very work He has to do in me, and I for Him, to separate me from Christ. Many a laborer has complained that he has too much work and not enough time for close communion with Jesus. What a sad thought that the bearing of fruit should separate the branch from the vine! That must be because we have looked at our work as something other than the branch bearing fruit.

Christians, you are the branches of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your heart may lack the consciousness of being a healthy, fruit-bearing branch, closely linked with Jesus. If you are not living in Him as you should be, then listen to Him saying, “I am the Vine. I will receive you, and I will draw you to Myself. I will bless you and strengthen you. I will fill you with My Spirit. I, the Vine, have taken you to be My branches. I have given Myself utterly to you; children, give yourselves utterly to Me. I became Man and died for you so that I might be entirely yours. Come and surrender yourselves entirely to be Mine.”

Let our prayer be that He, the living Vine, will link each of us to Himself in such a way that we will walk victoriously, with our hearts singing, “He is my Vine, and I am His branch. I want nothing more, now that I have the everlasting Vine.” Then, when you get alone with Him, worship and trust Him, love Him and wait for His love. “You are my Vine, and I am Your branch. It is enough; my soul is satisfied. Glory to His blessed name!”