Devotional Guide
For the week of September 28, 2003
LIVING FOR FOREVER
How you can always believe your partner
To Read: Isaiah 64-66
To Know:
"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."
(John 15:4)
If a person bears fruit for the kingdom of God, what does he or she produce?
The Bible abounds with promises that faith will produce fruit. Psalm One
says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. He is
like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its
season,." (Ps. 1:1,3) Jesus told those who by faith abide in him that they
would produce ".much fruit..." (Jn. 15:8) To the Colossians Paul wrote, "Of
this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel which has come
to you, as indeed in the whole world is bearing fruit and growing.." (Col.
1:5,6) What fruit do those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ bring
forth?
Fruit in nature comes from the seed that was in fruit that was before.
Apples contain apple seeds which promise future apples. The fruit in a
Christian's life was first in the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us to
expect results from having our faith in his name. "Truly, truly, I say to
you," said our Lord, "he who believes in me will also do the works that I
do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father."
(Jn. 14:12)
To Do:
Jesus came to tell us the truth about God. He alone has seen the unseen God.
That is what John meant when he wrote, "No one has ever seen God; the only
Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known." (Jn 1:18) We
who believe are the fruit of Christ's labor. As regards God, we now know
what the world never guessed, ".that God is light and in him is no darkness
at all." (1Jn.1: 5) We know that ".God is love." (1Jn. 4:8) We know that it
is eternally safe to trust in him. To walk by faith in Christ is to be in
partnership with God and do his works on earth.
To Ask:
Father, grant me to be fruitful for you.
09293$-09293
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