“Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: And I have walked in thy truth. I have not sat with vain persons, Neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; And will not sit with the wicked.”
Psalm 26:1-5 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.26.1-5.KJV
The Great Connection
If you’ve ever been to a vineyard, you know they are not only beautiful, but also fascinating. Imagine rows and rows of grape-bearing vines, rooted on rolling hills—its produce harvested and distributed as table grapes, grape juice, wine, raisins, jellies, jams, and more.
Jesus often used real-life examples to explain spiritual truths and, in John 15, vineyards were at the center of His analogy…
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
John 15:4 NLT
In the surrounding passages, Jesus makes it clear that He, the Son, is the vine; His Father, God, is the gardener; and we, His people, are the branches—thriving or dying depending on our connection to the source.
You could also think about it this way:
Your phone won’t continue to function if it’s not charged. But when it’s plugged into a charger, which is connected to the ...