“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” -John 15:2
In 2015, my wife and I were blessed to move our family out to the country. On the property was a massive lilac bush, and we were very excited to enjoy the blooms we anticipated were sure to come in the future. Well, the first spring, not many blooms came. The next spring even less came. It went this way for the next couple of years. So, I decided in the fall of 2019 that I would prune the bush back quite a bit. This bush was at least 12 feet tall, and I cut all the branches of this bush back to about 6 feet tall. Some people were worried that I might have killed the bush, but I was to the point of attempting to replace the bush anyway, so I thought might as well go for broke.
In the spring of 2020, I don't know if we got any blooms. The next spring in 2021, new growth had happened but not many blooms were found on the bush. This spring, though, there are so many blooms on the bush that they literally change the smell of the air all around our home and their fragrance is powerful.
This got me thinking about our own lives and how God works in and through them. Friends, yes, the Lord will prune and even discipline those He loves so we can have the opportunity to have much good fruit in our lives. But please keep in mind, too, that the Lord has already shown us how to live. At times we need to “prune” things out of our lives in order to receive the good “blooms” that the Lord desires for us to have in our lives.
Please don't get discouraged when you don't see much fruit soon after making good godly decisions in your life. Sometimes, just like the lilac bush in our yard, it takes time for the good gifts to come. So, rejoice in the Lord always; I will write it again, rejoice!
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:4-7
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
0 comments:
Post a Comment