PRUNING......OUCH!

Spring is officially here with it's pleasant weather in many parts of the world. When you think of spring what comes to mind? For me it is baby bird eggs, new life, beautiful flowers and mild temperatures. At the start of  the spring season many may  have plans for growing a garden or planting some flowering trees and bushes. 

When you start a garden or any growing project to keep things  blooming it is necessary to do some pruning and weed pulling. Taking those pruning shears you snip limbs or pick off dead leaves. I think of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy was on her way to Oz with her little dog Toto when she came upon a tree where she pulled fruit from the branches and the tree said "ouch" or some word of pain. Now we know this film was fantasy as there is no such thing as a talking tree but for this devotion I decided to use it in a " word picture" of sorts. 

There are times in our own life where it may be necessary for God to do some pruning on us to get better spiritual fruit to grow. This pruning could take the form of a trial, a loss, or a set back of some sort. Spiritual pruning is not fun when it is happening but the end product will br beautiful. 

John 15:1-6(NIV) says 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you.No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.' Those verses sum it up quite while. You must "abide" in Jesus so you will grow in Christ. He is growing you into a beautiful child of God. Only trust Him.

PRAYER: Lord I thank you for the things that happened to get me closer to you. Seems there are times I forget about you but when  a crisis hits I cry out to you. Help me to stay connected and get the necessary pruning I need to be more like you. In Jesus' name. Amen