«l am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing» (John 15:5).
My friend Anne is on vacation, so I’m going to water her garden every day. She has a very productive garden with broccoli, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and many, I mean many, tomatoes. Yesterday, when I went to her house to water, I noticed that one of the tomato plants was half-fallen over by the weight of the fruit. I lay the branches over the vines and went back to my house. With my day busy, I had completely forgotten about Anne’s garden and that tomato plant until, gesticulating as I spoke, I took my hands near my nose. The perfume of the tomato plant surprised me and reminded me exactly where I had been a few hours before. I don’t mean the smell of tomatoes, but the characteristic aroma of the plant itself. If you’ve ever touched a tomato plant’s hairy stems, you know they leave a smell of menthol on your hands. This scent remained on my fingertips long after my visit to the garden.
We tend to pay more attention to the results than to the process. We want to be more like Jesus, but instead of remaining in His presence, soaking ourselves in the fragrance of His love, we focus on our behavior. We put our efforts into doing things for Jesus, rather than being with Him. However, the key is to stay by His side; thus, the scent sticks to us automatically. If we go to a fast-food restaurant, our hair and clothes will smell like fries when we leave. The scent sticks to us automatically! The key is to abide: «l am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing» (John 15:5).
The characteristic aroma of tomato plants is due to a natural chemical compound called Hexenyl butyrate (HB) which the plant emits to resist the attack of bacteria. This compound is so effective that it is being studied to protect other crops and improve their yield. Likewise, abiding in Jesus is not only the only way to bear fruit, but it also protects us from enemy attacks. Today, let us remember to abide. The scent will stick to us automatically.
Dear Lord, I want to live in Your presence. Please help me prioritize relationship over action. Teach me to abide in Your love.
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
