John 15:4-5  ‘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. 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.’

DAILY READING Luke 3:1-20; Ezekiel 40-41; Isaiah 62

Frail plants like vines can barely survive strong storms on their own. But when these vines cling to the oak, they can survive through the protection of the oak. During a storm the vine clinging to the oak is protected from the force of the fierce winds by the oak’s large trunk. And if the wind blows on the exposed side of the vine, the tempest only presses the vine closer to the oak’s trunk, where it is still protected from being blown away.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It brought  floods and gale-force winds that devastated the region and displaced more than a million people. But New Orleans’ live oaks were surprisingly resilient, and many of them withstood the fierce winds of the hurricane.  They can withstand incredibly strong storms, like tornadoes and hurricanes. Even when they are stripped of their leaves, oak trees survive because of their strength, their curvy branches, and their incredible root systems. Thus any frail plant clinging to an Oak in the time of the storm is bound to be protected.

Jeremiah 13:11 says ‘For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.’

In the above scripture, the Lord had asked Jeremiah to take a cloth and wrap it around his waist tightly, then God said, that is how He wants His people to cling to Him, just as tightly.

Jesus emphasizes the same principle in John 15:4-5  ‘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. 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.’

Without God we have no value. It is only in Him we can live and move and have our being.  God is our only hope in life. When the storms of life come, our only option is to cling to Him with everything in us. Just as that frail vine clings to the strong oak, we must run to God and cling to Him to survive the storms of life.  In our relationship with God, as long as we cling to Him, we are protected from the fierce winds of the storm. And even when  it seems we are exposed to the wind, rather than separate us from God, the winds only succeed in pressing us closer to Him.

As Christians we will sometimes face challenges.

1 Peter 4:12 says ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:’ Peter assures us that challenges are normal, and we shouldn’t be bewildered or surprised by them. Yes, it is true we may have challenges, but thanks be to God who causes us to triumph always in Christ. Times of challenges are therefore times we should draw closer to God so that we can experience victory through Christ. And often, in drawing closer to God in those times, we experience great intimacy with Him. Some of our most profound and intimate experiences of worship have come from those times when we had no one else to turn but Jesus. In the seemingly dark days, when the wind is blowing fiercest, and your heart seems broken, that is the time you have run deeper into the arms of Jesus. And you’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.

Psalm 34:18  says  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.”

Afflictions are designed not to break us but to bend us toward our loving father. God really wants us to depend on Him at all times.

Psalm 62:1 says “In God, alone, there is rest for my soul, From Him comes my safety. With Him, alone, for my rock, my safety, my fortress, I can never fall,” –

Don’t be broken by the wind, rather let it bend you towards God.  God is good to those that trust in Him. And He really wants us to trust Him especially in those times when the storm blows the hardest.

Whatever situation you may be faced with right now, learn to run to God. What the enemy meant to bring tears to you, let it be the very reason why you praise God. Trust that God is on your side, and even though you may not see the whole picture yet, trust that He is working it all out for your good.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to cling to You at all times. Without You I can do nothing, my hope and trust is in You, and I know You will shield me through every storm of life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.