Intimacy That Just Might Blow You Away

As I listened to my Bible reading this morning, the words of John 15 struck me anew. Jesus loves me. Jesus wants me to love him. Not only does he want me to love him, he wants me to be wholly devoted to him. He wants to be my every breath, my very life-blood.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and ever branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:1-5, ESV

When I think of the word abide, I'm overwhelmed by the level of intimacy Jesus indicates. What does it mean to abide in him?

According to dictionary.com, abide means: to remain; continue; stay; to have one's abode; dwell; reside; to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc. Then, I put that together with how tightly knit a branch is to its vine. It's impossible to tear them apart. Even when a branch is dead or diseased, its nearly impossible. You have to cut them apart.

Could Jesus have picked a more perfect analogy? As I reread those verses and think about what "abide" means, I'm filled with awe. We can't bear fruit unless we abide, dwell, reside, make our home in him... for without him we can do nothing. Does it blow you away like it does me?