John 15:5

"I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing."

This is the verse I memorized for the first half of February. It's one of those that I could always paraphrase, but I figured it was a good one to commit to memory. 


Right now, I feel so full of joy I could burst. It's one of those seasons in life, where God is doing awesome things, and I not only get to sit back and watch, but also be an active participant. I was just telling my friend, Keith, who leads young life with us, that  I wish I could take the next three months and make it last 3 years. Which is kind of an exaggeration, but I really would make it last like another year. And all of this is not to say, look at my life that is so perfect, because it is not perfect. There are struggles and there is sin. But I feel like God is blessing us in huge ways throughout everything. And that's why this verse is so important to remember, especially the last part - "apart from me you can do nothing". I think that's where the joy comes from. Knowing that all of this is not just fun times, but because it is not done apart from God, it matters eternally. And that because we are connected to God, we can be involved in something that will have implications in God's kingdom forever. It's so cool. And so I can look at everything that is going on and not feel good about myself, because I cannot take credit for any of it. It is not a result of my being awesome or whatever. It is 100% a result of remaining in the vine and seeing God show up. And so I can give Him all the credit. And when we look back at this time in our lives, we can praise God, because He is faithful, and allowed us to bear fruit. And when we are tempted to rely on ourselves, we can remember that part from God, we can do nothing. Such a great promise!