7-2-2014

Good Morning All,

        John 15:4; “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

    I was really disappointed this morning.  I went out to check on my garden.  I have some herbs, some peppers and my tomatoes.  I love tomatoes; I have both cherry and regular tomatoes.  The cherry tomatoes rarely make it all the way into the house; they are usually consumed while tending to the rest of the garden.  So far this year, the tomatoes are doing well.  I am a little worried about a blight or fungus given the damp and cooler conditions but so far, so good.

   I had one plant that has a tomato a little bigger than a tennis ball.  It has a lot of potential, until this morning.  The vine that it was on broke and tore away from the main plant.  It won’t take long for the vine to die and the fruit will rot away.  What a disappointment, what a waste!  So I pruned the vine away and tossed the vine and the tomato into the trash.

    In our verse, Jesus tells us that unless a branch stays connected to the vine it cannot bear fruit.  As I looked at that broken tomato vine and the potential tomato, thinking of my disappointment; I wondered how many times I disappointed God.  How many times has He formed and shaped a wonderful fruit within me only to have me break away from Him and have it die?  How many times have I read and preached on compassion, only to walk away from the opportunity to be compassionate?  How many times have I written about mercy, only to hide and run away from the time to show it?  How many times am I the branch that tries to “un-attach” itself from the true vine?

    I don’t really want to count that number; it is higher than I would want to really see.  I deserve to be cutoff, “pruned”, and tossed in the garbage; all the while with that potentially great piece of fruit left to rot away.  What a disappointment to God that must be!  Yet we are most blessed because not only is Jesus the vine; he is also the physician.

   When my tomato vine broke, I had no choice but to dispose of it.  Yet God, through Jesus, takes my brokenness and heals me.  God re-attaches me to the true vine to let the fruit continue to grow.  God always gives me a chance to let the fruit grow.  He always gives me another chance to have compassion or to show mercy.  His desire is for me to show his love to others.  It is my desire as well but sometimes I fall short.  Yet through his grace, he restores me and he restores you, no matter how broken your vine; God restores you.

    So take heart and courage, a failure or a misstep does not end your relationship with God.  His healing is for you and forever.

God of all love, too often I am broken away from you.  Too often, I seek my own way.  Forgive me, renew me and restore me.  Guide me to produce the fruit that it may be a benefit to those around me.  Help me to bring healing and comfort to this world.  Help me to find those in most need of your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret