Connected To The Vine

Sometimes we may not be connected to Jesus with our whole hearts. We may go to church, pray, and do what we know is right. But inside we feel ‘dead.’ Why? The answer is that we can’t connect ourselves to Jesus any more than a branch can connect itself to a vine. God loved us first. He made the first move to come to us and start a relationship. Our coming to Him is always our answer to the things He does for us. We come to Him because He came to us first.

The grapevine helps us better understand this idea about God. During the winter, the buds on the branches of the grapevine dry up. When spring comes, the soil warms up. The roots fill with water. The sap flows up the trunk of the vine into the buds. The sap is the liquid part of the plant. Then the vine starts to grow again. Without the sap, no growth will happen.

The sap in the grapevine is the same as the Holy Spirit in our lives. We may be the same as a dead branch. But when we choose to spend time with God, God sends His Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit fills us with new life. Then we start to grow in God. In the same way, we must choose to live in Jesus. We also must ask for God to fill our hearts with His Holy Spirit.

Read Luke 11:13; Jeremiah 31:3; 1 John 4:19; and Romans 8:9–11 📖 . What important message do these ­verses teach us?

The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in God. The Holy Spirit makes sure that we stay healthy and connected to Jesus, the Vine. We need to ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit every day. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us on earth to

be our Helper ( John 14:16–18 📖 ),

show Jesus to us ( John 15:26 📖 ),

tell us the truth about sin ( John 16:7, 8 📖 ), and

lead us into all Bible truth ( John 16:13 📖 ).

Read again the list above. How can each thing on the list that the Holy Spirit does help make your relationship better with God?