01 Jan 2017
Devotionals
01/01/2017 Gabriel Madison

Intro

Like millions of Christians I usually spend the latter part of December and the beginning of January striving to hear from God to determine his cause and direction for my life in the upcoming year. The Bible states clearly that if we lack direction in any area of our lives all we have to do is ask and God will grant us his wisdom (James 1:5). However, after asking I will caution you not to overlook the voice of God by only looking for him amongst the wind, the earthquakes, or the fires. We must be willing to listen for the whisper of God’s voice (1 Kings 19:11- 13). More times than not God speaks to us through everyday events and occurrences, and if we’re not careful we can overlook the message he has for us.

Most recently God has been dealing with me in the area of viticulture. For those who don’t know, that’s the study of harvesting  grapes. After a brief study of grapevines, I believe God spoke to me through some of their facts. Here are a few, and let’s allow the Holy Spirit to piece together what this means for us in the days ahead. I believe after careful study and consideration we can learn what God wants to say to us concerning the fruitfulness of our lives in the new year.

 

7 Facts About Grapes

  • Grapes grow in numerous colors, sizes, and flavors.
  • New plants are pruned for years before they are allowed to produce a crop.
  • The best vineyards require several years of harvesting before yielding grapes of high quality.
  • Good vines can produce quality grapes for over one hundred years.
  • When compared to their size, vines are very productive and a single season’s harvest can far outweigh the plant.
  • The best vine cultivation does not come from seeds but instead from plant cuttings and shoots.
  • A vine can be infected with dead branches. If such branches are not removed, they can spread disease and cause a reduction in productivity.
     

 

What This Means for Us

After prayerful consideration let’s try to understand what this means for us. If grapes grow in numerous colors, sizes, and flavors, this would mean if we want to yield positive and productive fruit from our lives in the coming new year, we shouldn’t expect all of the fruit of our productivity to look the same. God has custom tailored our talents and abilities so the offspring of our productivity, which is our fruit, can be as unique as our fingerprint. Knowing the fact that the best fruit takes years to grow and cultivate, we must understand that productivity in our lives will not come overnight, but in order to yield the highest quality fruit we must accept the fact that it will take time. Remember grapevines can produce branches that yield grapes for over a century. We have to recognize that God wants our fruit to remain.  He desires to bless his people with something bigger than an individual and he wants it to last longer than a single lifetime.

The best grapes are produced when the branches of the vine are allowed to be cut and pruned. Even if the branches are producing large amounts of fruit, they are still pruned so they can produce even more. Similarly, when we don’t allow God to prune and shape our lives it can cause a reduction in our growth and stunt our productivity. God is the divine gardener, using everyday trials to prune our attitudes, thinking, dispositions and behaviors (Deuteronomy 8:2). It’s a humbling experience and of course it does not always feel good, but when it’s all said and done we’ll see the benefit of the trials that God has allowed in our lives (Psalms 119:71).

For those who might be new believers, at this point this you’re probably wondering where is all of this coming from. For others who are little more mature and know their bibles a little better they recognize this as the revelation Jesus gave to his disciples in his final discourse before getting ready to die. Take a moment to read John 15:1- 8 and see how the revelation taken from simple facts about grapes correlates with Jesus’ metaphor of him being the vine, we (as his disciples) are the branches, and God is the gardener.

 

John 15:1- 8 NLT says,

1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

 

The Key to a Fruitful Future

After reading the words of Jesus we find that it’s God’s desire for us as believers to bear fruit. But there’s debate over what exactly Jesus means by the agricultural metaphor “fruit.” Some say it’s the harvest of leading new believers to Christ, others say it’s the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). I’d like to think that both are true, but more than that I believe it’s God’s will for us to be productive in every aspect of our lives. When we are productive Christians (bearing fruit) it brings great glory to God (John 15:8). As a Christian, not bearing fruit should be considered abnormal.

Since we know that it’s God’s will for us to bear fruit, next we can conclude God wants us to have a prosperous and productive new year. But Jesus gives us the key necessary for all of our fruit-bearing. Jesus advises us to remain in him. If we remain in him and he in us, we will produce much fruit for apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5). In short, to remain in him means to follow Christ’s example, seek him to discover his will for our lives each day, learn more about him through daily bible study, and obey his commands (John 15:10). A plant that withers and dies is usually one that is neglected. Likewise, if we neglect our relationship with Jesus, it’s only a matter of time before we begin to spiritually wither away, and our lives become devoid of fruit.

The amazing thing about grapevines is the branches can produce foliage for a while once they’ve been cut off, but they bear no fruit. I’m saying that it’s possible to have a severed relationship with Jesus Christ and look productive for a short time, but there will be no lasting fruit. Remember the sign, that if you’re walking in a godly path, then the production of fruit should be lasting (John 15:16 NLT).   Lastly, remember wild vines are not productive. Generally speaking, when we read of vineyards in the bible it is usually associated with permanence. In other words, only steady civilizations could engage in viticulture. This means that our lives must be stable in order to bear fruit. As this year opens take time to stop and listen to God, see where he wants you to be, and stay connected to him. Once you know his will, learn and grow in the knowledge of God, and you’ll begin to see fruitfulness in the days and years ahead. Amen.