“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:5-11.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
There is joy in obeying My Word. It has great reward in this life now and in eternity.
Jesus had joy. He tells you that He wants to share His joy with you so your joy can be full. John 15:11; John 17:13. I tell you the same, “Come share your Master’s joy!” And who do I say that to? The one who is a good and faithful servant, one whom I can trust to keep the sacred bond of My Word. My Word and My Spirit are My Covenant with you by which I give you all I am and all I have. “This is My Covenant with you: My Spirit on you and My Words in your mouth.” That is power. And power over the flesh realm gives you the freedom of the children of God. It makes you more than a conqueror.
People disobey My Word when they give in to their lusts, flesh, and emotions, and when they decide the fleeting joys of sin are more attractive than the boundaries of My Word. But what they don’t realize, sometimes until too late, that giving in to your flesh enslaves you to your emotions and lusts, which will destroy you. I know this will sound contradictory at first but what people call selfish behavior really is not benefitting “self” at all but destroying self and others. Anger and strife in a home will divide and destroy the household. And anger and strife, jealousy and envy, immorality and pornography, addictions to substances, always seeking your own advantage over others, inside you will divide and destroy you, so selfishness is really self-destruction and not self-advancement. When you are selfish you cannot have peace or enjoy life. And you cannot forgive.
Great peace have those who love My law (torah: instruction that always causes you to hit the bullseye), whose hearts are stayed on Me. This is peace in every circumstance, whether it be a trial or a time of success, peace that passes understanding. And it brings joy unspeakable and filled with glory knowing you are walking in paths of righteousness. Established in righteousness you are far from oppression (whether it be addictions, emotions, anxiety, illness, or depression) and you have no fear. You are walking in the light of My love which has given you the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness so that you can reign in life through Christ Jesus. And when you are reigning your emotions are not. And the curse cannot light on you.
Know who and what is good and who and what is not. Judge for yourselves rightly. I cut off the unfruitful branches on the vine of Christ. And they wither up and die. Why? If your life is not fruitful you will have no joy. Joy comes in bearing fruit. Or you are cut down.
You may be wondering how you can bear fruit all the time? Take a look at Psalm 1 and you will find your answer. “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law (torah) of the LORD, and in His law (torah) he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3. And Jesus, who is My Word, told you how to be fruitful as well, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:5-11.
Abiding in, remaining in, and being connected to My Word—this gives you joy and makes you fruitful. And abiding in My Word, doing My Word, you abide in My love, and love gives you joy all the day.
The night before He went through the death of the damned for you, My Son prayed to Me, “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” John 17:13. And earlier He told you what gave Him that joy, “My food is to do the Will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” John 4:34. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10.
What gave Jesus His joy that He wanted to share with you? His relationship with Me. He only sought My glory by doing My works on earth. He prayed, “I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” John 17:4.
Keeping My Word is joy. Pure uncompromised joy.
What really gives you joy? The most joy on earth? A good, loving relationship of total oneness, acceptance, agreement and peace with another that you can always rely on and trust to be there with you and for you. One who provides, forgives, cares for you and loves you. A strong one who knows all, has all, and shares all He has with you and lets you use it as your own. One who heals you, protects you, lifts you up, and forgives you everything and remembers it no more. One who has the solution to every problem and the answer to every question. And the only One who is all that to you is Me. There is fullness of joy in My presence and the delights at My right hand forever.
You can have no true and lasting joy apart from Me, but with Me you can have fullness of joy that your joy may be complete. Attached to My Son, you are attached to Me as one, and you will bear fruit that will endure. And do you know what fruit I am talking about? The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control. Love is the first fruit I pour into you as the sap of the vine and from that comes joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and the crown of self-control. My Spirit in you will write My law on your heart and then you will walk therein. From inside out, not vice versa.
I have joy. In what? In what I have made. And your joy will come int the fruit you bear. The fruit of righteousness, for so you are in Christ. Have you ever noticed how frustrated you become on days that seem to bear no fruit? Just live for the praise of My glory and you will never have a fruitless day again. Make the most of your time. Redeem it with joyful prayer, praise and worship. For I will make you joyful in My house of prayer.
Stay away from the works of the flesh and the things others do in darkness, for the works of the flesh are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. Galatians 5:19-21. Be careful about gossiping and telling the faults of others for what you have said in secret will be broadcast from the mountain tops. Loudly.
I love you. Follow Jesus, which means follow My Word and if you continue (abide in) My Word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Free to be the “you” I made you to be. Fruitful. My Words are spirit and life, in them is eternal life.