1 And the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! 6 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord GOD."
God likes to compare us to branches. Which is fine, so long as we are still connected to the tree. There comes a point where the branch is no longer producing fruit, so it is cut off and thrown into the flames. That's what God was doing to Israel during the captivity. They were no longer anywhere close to what He wanted them to be so it was time to cut them off. He said even the righteousness of Job or Noah would only save themselves.
But He is the vine and we are the branches. All we must do is abide in Him, take refuge in Him, allow Him to be our source and supply, and have that relationship; then He will keep us always. We will bare His fruit. He promises it.
Lord, please provide the things I need to bare fruit. Let Your works be seen in my life. Let me cast away the past and past thoughts and patterns, and focus solely on what is ahead. I count it all as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing You. Be ever present in my thoughts today. I commit myself to You.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
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