During an expedition in Alaska, a man went for a short hike one morning when a blizzard fell upon this region. Quickly turning back to return to base camp, white out conditions blinded this man, causing him to become disoriented. After 15 minutes of wondering around, this man’s wilderness trained kicked in.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me, John 15:4.
Taking his backpack, this man took a stake, hammering it into the ground until it wouldn’t move. Then, he tied rope to this stake, serving as marker, going in a circle 25 feet, then 50, 75 and so on. Finally, after extending his rope to its farthest setting, 100 feet, this man bumped into base camp, thanking God for saving his life.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing, ” John 15:5.
This story reminds me the words of the disciple whom Jesus loved in chapter 15 of his gospel account. John is trying to encourage his readers to stay connected to God through Jesus. Jesus is like the stake in the illustration above serving as a firm foundation. Without this reference point, the man from Alaska would have died. In the same way, those who try live apart from Christ will lose their lifeline. In view of this, don’t wander far from base camp unless you keep in step with the Holy Spirit, staying connected to Jesus while you are away.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 