God gives the increase (2)!

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for all that He is to us, and His Word, which is true.

Primary Text

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater.” 1 Corinthians 4v6-7 (AMP)

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 4v6-7 (MSG)

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 4v6-7 (NIV)

Ephesians 2 tells us that “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We thank God that He seeks to use us for His glory. Albeit, even as we go about our work for the Lord, we are vessels in His hands, and we ought to remember that we ourselves are nothing, but God who makes whatever we do to prosper is everything. Hallelujah. Thus John 15v4 (AMP) says “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” Are you being used as a vessel in the Lord’s hands to plant and water seeds? We give God glory for this. However, while the Lord desires you to continue to work in His vineyard, remember that it is God who is important in all of this, and the One who gives the increase, and in order to remain fruitful, you need to continually abide in the Vine.  

Supplementary Text

“Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.” John 15v2 (AMP)

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, we thank You so much for Your Word and for every good work which You before prepared for us to do. We pray that we will always give You all the glory and pray for the grace to remain continually abiding in our Lord Jesus Christ. This we pray with thanksgiving in Jesus name, amen.