“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.” John 15:5 (KJV)
Morning Devotion
If you have ever walked through a vineyard in late summer, you know there is a holy hush that hangs in the air. The rows stretch long and straight, leaves full and green, heavy clusters of grapes hanging like blessings waiting to burst. But look a little closer, and you will notice something important: every branch that bears fruit is connected to something deeper.
Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.”
He did not say, “Try harder to produce fruit.” He said, “Stay connected to me.”
That is the secret to the Christian life, not striving but staying.
A branch does not wake up anxious about bearing fruit. It simply abides. It draws from the life of the vine, and fruit happens naturally. In the same way, when you stay close to Jesus, His life flows into yours. Strength replaces strain. Peace replaces pressure. Fruit becomes the result of relationship, not the reward of effort.
A Porch Story
A few years ago, Joy and I planted a small grapevine by the fence near the back porch. For the first couple of seasons, we did not see much of anything, just leaves, shoots, and more waiting than I had patience for. I started thinking maybe the soil was not right or that I had done something wrong.
Then one summer morning, while sipping coffee on the porch, I noticed clusters beginning to form, small, green, and easy to miss. What I did not realize back then was that the vine had been busy the whole time, building a root system beneath the surface. What looked like stillness was actually strength being established.
That is how abiding works. Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening. You pray, you serve, you stay faithful, and yet, no fruit is in sight. But under the surface, the True Vine is at work, sending life through unseen roots, preparing you for a harvest in due season.
Fruit takes time. Growth takes grace. Both come from staying connected.
When the Pruning Comes
Sometimes God trims things out of our lives, habits, relationships, plans, not because He is angry, but because He is making room for more of His life to flow through us.
If you have ever watched a gardener prune a vine, it can look harsh, snipping, cutting, trimming back what seems perfectly healthy. But every cut has a purpose. The gardener knows that pruning is not punishment; it is preparation for more fruit.
It hurts, yes. But it is holy.
If you are in a season of pruning, do not resist it. Release it. Let the Vinedresser do His work. The hands that cut are the same hands that cultivate. He does not just want growth; He wants good fruit, the kind that lasts.
Life Application
Take ten quiet minutes today to simply abide. No agenda. No long list of requests. Just sit still and say,
“Lord, I am here with You.”
Maybe you will read a few verses from John 15. Maybe you will just breathe and rest in His presence.
You will find that peace does not come from doing more for God. It comes from being more with God.
Try adding what I call an “abide break” to your daily rhythm, five minutes in the middle of the day when you stop, close your eyes, and whisper, “I remain in You.” It is amazing how much clarity can flow from just being connected.
A Little Porchside Theology
Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” That is not discouragement. That is direction. It is His way of saying, “Stay close, and watch what happens.”
Our job is not to produce results. It is to maintain relationship. The fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, grows out of abiding (Galatians 5:22–23).
You cannot microwave maturity or fake fruit. Real fruit takes time, sunlight, water, and connection.
Here is the good news. If you are in Christ, the connection is already yours. You do not have to fight for it. You just have to flow with it.
Prayer
True Vine,
Thank You for being my source of life.
Keep me connected to You when the world tries to pull me in every direction.
Teach me to slow down and abide, not just in the morning, but all day long.
Prune what hinders, water what is withered, and help me bear fruit that honors Your name.
Let my words, work, and witness point others to the Vine who never runs dry.
In Your name, Amen.
Reflection Question / Journal Prompt
Where in your life have you been striving instead of staying?
Write this in your journal:
“True Vine, I choose to remain connected. Grow Your fruit in me.”
Then list one area of your life that needs pruning, a hurry, a habit, or a hidden hurt, and ask God to gently trim it away so His life can flow freely again.
Evening Reflection
As the day winds down, step outside for a moment if you can. Look at a tree, a vine, or even a flower, anything connected to its source, and let it remind you that growth happens quietly for those who stay rooted.
Abiding is not inactivity. It is connected activity.
Branches do not manufacture fruit. They reveal it.
Before bed, ask the Vinedresser,
“Lord, what needs trimming?”
Maybe it is a worry you have been holding too tightly, a grudge you have watered too long, or a pace that is choking your peace. Hand it to Him. Trust His careful cuts.
Then take a deep breath and whisper,
“I remain in You.”
Let that be your lullaby tonight.
Productivity will follow presence, not replace it.
Fruit worth having grows in the slow sunshine of staying.
So rest well, connected to the Vine, knowing that even while you sleep, His life is still flowing through you, shaping, strengthening, and preparing you to bear more fruit tomorrow.
Michael Joe Harvell 