31 Jan Relationship with Jesus and bearing fruit
What does relationship with Jesus require? It starts with believing and receiving Him as your savior but it doesn’t stop there. Abiding and spending time with Jesus is where relationship takes root. This is where we get to know Him and His ways. This is when our cups are filled and joy is restored. And it’s where we can let go and give our burdens to Him. The bible says we will have troubles, there is no way around it. And one day everyone will pass from this life to the next.
The realities of our limitations and losses can be overwhelming at times. However, when we abide and we spend time in God’s living word, worship him, and listen for his direction He takes us to new places of understanding and intimacy with Him. We begin to see our parts in His story and be apart of His work. He grows our faith and lavishes His love over everyone in the story.
I am excited to share this powerful account that my dear friend, Christine experienced. She loves Jesus and lives to be His hands and feet. God has ministered to her through His heart movement and shows her hearts all the time. Christine was in the process of looking for her son’s first car. In her searching, she came across a car an individual was selling through social media. She thought the price looked right and the car was in great shape. So, she and her husband reached out to the seller for more information.
As they communicated back and forth she found out that the seller was selling the car because his son had passed away. His son had a heart issue causing him to pass at a young age. I can not even imagine how heart breaking and painful this was for this family. But even in the midst off such excruciating pain God had a plan to show his love. As they worked through buying this car, Christine felt like God wanted her to give the family something. After we talked, we prayed that God would show her what to give the family. I mentioned to her that one thing she could share is the heart story with them and how God has blessed her through His presence and showing her hearts.
She quickly responded, “I am going to give them your book”. Little did Christine know that God had already went before her. However, her obedience was crucial to the story. She knew God had laid it on her heart to give and now what he wanted her to give. This awareness was formed by spending time with Jesus. The day came to purchase the car and Christine brought the book to give the family. As she shared with them the hope of Jesus’s love in the book and how He has ministered to her though the hearts the mother of the son that had passed started to cry and clinched something around her neck.
When she was able to speak she showed Christine a gold heart locket around her neck that her husband had given her just a month before at Christmas. It read on one side, “a piece of my heart is in heaven”. God had already sent His daughter a heart and now He was sending His love story for her and her husband. It was a powerful moment for everyone there. God’s presence was known and His love shined bright out of Christine’s one decision to listen and do what God was asking her to do. This is the fruit from abiding with Jesus. “I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5