"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will bear
EVEN MORE FRUIT."
So, sometimes, where I think I'm doing great, thriving, bearing fruit...He chooses to prune there! And to remove what looks good to make it even more for His glory. My trouble is (and I think it's yours too), we want to resist those pruning shears. It hurts. We want to hold on to those pretty branches! But, our gardner is in control, and He asks us to submit to the shears so we can bear more fruit. He doesn't let us get too comfortable, does He? He keeps us in a place of surrender, dependence and trust. I encourage you today to not fear His shear love. He wants to bring you complete joy (v. 10). Do you trust the gardner my fellow branch? He loves you so very much. Consider the lilies...
I was just meditating on this same passage the other day. I resist the pruning because with it comes change and I hate change, I like the comfortable place and God has been showing me that is not where I am to stay.
ReplyDeleteEric's message this morning was so good,am I serving "closed" "partially open" or "open" to what God has for me to do, does change scare me, it definitly takes me out my comfort zone and that's where the pruning takes place. Keep your sheers sharp Lord and prune at will, I am yours..
ReplyDeleteSo good! Thanks Grace for keeping this going! I can't tell you how much you encourage me to live for Jesus!!
ReplyDeleteThis morning I woke up at 4:30 from a strange dream, but God used it to bring me into a sweet time w/ Him! I was able to realize several things in my life, but one of them has to do w/ the 30 day challenge. As I looked back over the days, I saw that those early ones were full of the joy of being in God' presence, but the recent ones were filled w/ discouragement. The difference between the two was that those early ones were days of surrender, but the recent ones were full of mis-placed priorities, lacking that surrender and sacrifice.
I then read Matt. 10:38, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." Convicting and yet I never cease to be amazed at how lovingly God convicts me and draws me back into His sweet embrace!
So I say "Yes!" to my Master's pruning sheers!!!
Thanks for continuing to post. I am enjoying reviewing the 30 day challenge. New thoughts keep coming with the review.
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