I love reading the Bible, working through Bible studies, and reading books and posts about God. When I study, there are so many nuggets of truth I find along the way, and I can’t wait to get online and share.

However, I stayed so busy, so distracted by social media, that my soul felt like a shriveled raisin. I needed to get back in the True Vine and be re-hydrated in The Living Water. I needed to saturate myself in God’s Word, spend time with God, abide with Him, linger long and deep in His presence.

Jesus said He is the vine and those who abide in Him will bear much fruit (John 15:5). I want to abide in Christ and bear much fruit, I want to be like a big, juicy, fat grape on the vine of Christ. I can’t do it on my own. I have nothing lasting to offer, that is worthy of lasting, if what I share doesn’t come from God.

I believe my calling is to write and share God’s truth, but when things were out of whack. I quietly stepped away from social media for a season. I didn’t know how long (days, weeks, months,  …) or how things would look when God opened the door to return.

To be honest, I tried many times to step away, and I always ran back thinking someone needed me (ha!) or I wanted to share something that spoke to me, or I’m just way too curious about what’s happening online.

Kelly Minter shared at the LifeWay Women’s Leadership Forum, “Those we minister to, don’t need us to be busy for them, they need us to be in intimacy with Christ.”

I need Christ’s intimacy, you need Christ’s intimacy. We need to care for our souls and the soul-connection with God. We need to stay still, sit still long enough for God’s truth to resonate, marinate, and re-hydrate our souls.

God calls, calls for you to come to Him, come and be still, and rest in His presence. In the vine of Christ, you find His love and His abundant fruit.

 His Present

Is your soul weary and in need of refreshment? What does Jesus say will happen when you come to Him and when you abide in Him?

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and] refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.” ~ Matthew 11:28-29 (AMPC)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” ~ John 15:1-5 (NASB)

From, Present in His Presence by Lisa Buffaloe, https://amzn.to/2QF4MCq

Emphasis added on scripture.