The Vine, The Branches, and The Wake Up Call

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. 

– John 15:4

Today I am clapping for the Colorado women in my Bible Study who have been “Waking Up and Trusting God” since May 12^th.  Today marks 21 days of TRUST!  Their 3pm alarms have been going off every day as we've moved through Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him and 

He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Experts who study the brain tell us that it takes 21 days to create a new habit.  They say that you know it’s a habit when, if you skip a day, you miss it.  We are creating the habit of giving thanks to God every day at 3pm and trusting Him with our lives. I hope we continue this forever.  I know that if I turned my 3pm alarm off, I’d miss my daily wake up call from God tremendously.  I hope you would too.

I’ve been asking God to show me the plans He has for the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call.  I’ve been asking Him open-ended questions like “How can we get this message out to more people?” and “Who should I share this with next?”  Although I haven’t yet heard a response, what I do know for certain is that I am to remain close while I wait.

In John 15 (verse 4 is above) Jesus tells the parable of a grape vine and a loving, pruning gardener.  Jesus called himself the “true vine.”  His followers are branches full of grapes, the “good fruit.”  God is the gardener, pruning each branch for maximum growth.  His key point is that if we are to produce abundant fruit, we must remain close to Him.  Here, He can teach, discipline, cut away, and encourage a life that produces: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  

If you’re like me, as you read these nine “fruits of the spirit,” you’re thinking, “I could sure use more of those!”  Remain close to Jesus and He will remain close to you.  As you grow in His likeness, His plans will become clear, His Holy Spirit will remain alive in you, and your paths will become straight and good.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement