June 15, 2020-Chapter 9: "Ye Are The Branches"- Question: 3

QUESTION: 3

As a “branch” totally connected to the Vine, always dependent, can you imagine the “true rest” this brings to our souls as we completely rest in Him? Read the words of the “branch” on pages 94 and 95; If a branch could talk, this is what it would say. Now, how about you: Do you feel in your heart you have total rest in your Lord? Or do you feel you are struggling in trying to do the “work” of Vine? Let go and rest in Him. (Page 94-95)

ANSWER To Question 3 (As stated by the Author)

THE WORDS OF A BRANCH:

"Man, I hear that you are wise, and I know that you can do a great many wonderful things. I know you have much strength and wisdom given to you but I have one lesson for you. With all your hurry and effort in Christ's work you never prosper. The first thing you need is to come and rest in your Lord Jesus. That is what I do. Since I grew out of that vine I have spent years and years, and all I have done is just to rest in the vine. When the time of spring came I had no anxious thought or care. The vine began to pour its sap into me, and to give the bud and leaf. And when the time of summer came I had no care, and in the great heat I trusted the vine to bring moisture to keep me fresh. And in the time of harvest, when the owner came to pluck the grapes, I had no care. If there was anything in the grapes not good, the owner never blamed the branch, the blame was always on the vine. And if you would be a true branch of Christ, the living Vine, just rest on Him. Let Christ bear the responsibility."

PERSONAL COMMENT:

What a great concept, all we have to do to find true rest in Christ, is to fully rest in the Vine, Jesus. As you read the words of the branch above, we come to realize how must effort we put into our work for our Lord. If we take the advise of the branch and not worry about anything and let the sap (the Holy Spirit) do the work through us, we have nothing to fear. It is the responsibility of the Vine to produce the fruit in us, not us trying to produce the fruit.