Pruning Done Yet?

 

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5 NIV).

It is that time of year again to enjoy the beautiful plants, trees, and bushes if you pruned them in the off season. You have to prune things till they almost look ugly for the beautiful blooms to occur. 

You are pruned by God sometimes and it hurts and you don’t understand what He has in store for you but he gets rid of stuff that is holding you back in order for you to shine for him. 

Just like a bush has to be pruned back to make it more beautiful or an apple tree so it will bear luscious fruit, you too are pruned for God’s purposes and so you can be used by him. Just thank Him for where you are now. 

PRAYER: I am grateful for even the bumps and pits in my life for they brought me to where I am today. I choose to look ahead for what God has in store. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Fertilize Your Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

If you have a vegetable garden, rose bushes, or fruit trees they periodically need to be fertilized or the product they produce will be minimal and small or may not produce at all! 

How is your spiritual fruit? Is it getting fertilized on a daily basis? To do this you need to read the Bible. Believe that what God says He will and Can do. Never doubt the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay pressing in on your prayer journey. 

Friend let the fruit of the Spirit grow and flourish in your life so you can spread the love of Jesus to those He puts in your path. Don’t allow Satan to get you into a lazy mode and let your fruit wither. Charge on and grow for the kingdom!

PRAYER: The fruits of the spirit need to be producing more fruit in my life. Through some pruning which often hurts I know you help me Lord to grow into the kind of Christian who can best reach out to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How Is Your Fruit?

 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. John 15:2

 How is the "fruit" in your life? Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control? We have fruit trees in our yard and occasionally if they are not producing fruit they have to be cut back. At times this makes the tree look ugly but the results will be great. Galatians 5:22-23 discusses the fruits of the Spirit. Take a moment and look those verses up.

Is your "fruit" moldy, dried up, tasteless, bitter? If so perhaps it is time to work on fertilizing that fruit with things like prayer and Bible reading. The pruning referred to in the key Bible verse is when trials and situations come into our life to help us develop better healthier fruit.

So how is your fruit?

 PRAYER: I know I can not grow 'good fruit' for the kingdom without certain things occurring to help me grow spiritual fruit. Guide me successfully through these times so I can become more Christlike in what I say and do. In Jesus' name. Amen.