Wednesday, July 25, 2018
John 15:1-2 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, that it may bear more fruit.
SUMMER CHORES THAT BEAR MORE FRUIT
We recently bought a home that has A LOT of lilacs on the property. Not just 10-20 feet, but more like 100-200 feet of lilacs at the average height of 8 feet tall. Needless to say, there has been A LOT of pruning. And needless to say, there will be a lot more pruning in the future.
What is my attitude about all of this laborious trimming? Maybe you think I am upset about all the hours of work that has and will be going into cutting back the rapid growth, as well as the dead branches beneath the growth? Maybe you think I would be silly or rather foolish to buy such a home that has so much labor intensive yard work to do? But maybe I'm thinking about the time I'll be spending with my children, teaching them the value of work and caring for what God has blessed us with? Maybe I just like getting outside in the beautiful fresh air, working up a sweat, and enjoying the fruits of my labors? Or maybe I realize, with the little bit I know about gardening, there will come a time that the beautiful and fragrant flowery blooms will not come if they have not been properly pruned.
Jesus makes a clear illustration in helping each one of us understand our own faith life. He uses a common illustration of the summer chore of pruning. The warning is clear for me. If I don't stay connected to Jesus, the One and only True Vine, my faith will wither away and die. The reminder is clear too. Jesus teaches me that my Heavenly Father prunes me. It is a painful process at times as He desires to cut off what is dead and what is killing my faith life, those sucker branches that go off in all directions and draw away from my faith the life giving energy of the Vine, Jesus Christ.
But at the same time it is through this pruning process that I see the love of my Father in Heaven through the words of my Savior Jesus. I am shown the attitude of my Lord God. I get to see the patient, careful, and loving process of my eternal LORD who has a purpose for me. His purpose is that I show the same beauty and fragrant attitude that He Himself has shown in serving me with His very life, death, and resurrection. And by faith, I am connected to Him and His glorious work. It was and continues to be no "chore" that Jesus would do all this pain-staking work for you and for me. He bought us and purchased us with His blood. Now, He works with us through every season of life so that we get to bear fragrant, God-pleasing fruit for His glory. Yes, prune me Lord through Your Holy Word, that I may bear more fruit for You! Amen.
