My Year of Abiding

My word for 2017 was ABIDE: To remain, continue, stay, dwell, reside, live. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Last January, God gave me a perfect illustration for my word. Over the previous month, northern California had received 20 inches of rain. Finally, the five-year drought had ended. This was all well and good, except for the little lemon tree in our back yard that was loaded down with a huge crop of lemons. With the soaking wet ground and the citrus trees’ shallow root system, the little tree just couldn’t take it. One winter night, it silently crashed and burned. Just like that, it fell over. Bam! 

In an effort to save the poor thing, we cut off two branches and hoisted it back up, supporting it with some posts. Would it survive? We didn’t know. Time sound tell. 

Meanwhile, Don had to leave on an extended trip, so we just left the lopped off branches loaded with lemons laying on the ground until he returned a few weeks later.

During the month of January, I watched the lovely fruit on those branches slowly shrivel up. The branches had been amputated from their life source, and without sustenance, there was no way the fruit would survive. Little by little, it rotted. “Apart from me, you can do nothing…” Jesus’ words are so true. Without him, I am utterly fruitless. Without His spirit abiding in me, there is no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).”

This was probably the most important truth that I learned in 2017.