"Remain"

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing". John 15:5

Since my childhood I have faced challenges after challenges. One of my biggest challenges was my inadequacy. I was born with this inadequacy of my stammering problem. It was so hard for me to say even one word. It will take a long time for me to complete one short sentence. With this inadequacy it is always a terrible nightmare for me to face people and talk to them. I limit myself from many activities because of my stammering problem.

People imitate the way I speak and they make fun of me. I was condemned and bullied even in school. The worst case is some of my teachers will ask me to read in front of the class even though they knew about my weakness. With tears in my eyes, I'll always struggle to finish a read, but I cannot finish and I could only hear many students' laughter. For them it was fun, but for me it was another heart-breaking moment. I started to avoid people and I'm not confident to do anything. For almost twenty years I lived a life of 'I Can't Do Anything'.

\ But the moment the Loving Lord Jesus, found me and picked me up by His two loving arms, everything started to change. The more I followed Him and the more I fell in love with Him, the more I started to gain confidence to face this world. The Lord Jesus did a deep work in me and I did not notice it. But the people around me that used to talk to me started to notice a big change in my speech. Halleluiah, God healed my stammering problem. To cut the long story short, now I am able to talk in front of many people and God is using me to preach His awesome word in front of thousands of people. The Lord Jesus is the One who enables me to do all these things. I cannot do anything apart from Him, as what the Scripture says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing". John 15: 5.

My Friend, now focus on the word "Remains" from the Scripture. "Remain" from the context of this verse is to be with or to be in. So, if a person is "be with" or "be in" the Lord, and the Lord will be with or be in that person, what will actually happen to that person? A great explosion of blessing, breakthrough, fruitfulness and a great restoration will begin to take place. A person that remains or be in the Lord will excel in their life, as what the Scripture says, " If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit". With my inadequacy I couldn't do anything; but as I began to be in the Lord and the Lord in me, I started to be fruitful in many areas. For sure I can do nothing apart from Him; but through Him who strengthens me, I can do all things. You can be fruitful as you remain in the Lord.