The Pruning Process

"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

After meditating on this verse, the Lord showed me that often the things we do not understand in life are because He is pruning us. Do you need pruning? Do you feel useless or feel like you could give more of yourself? Do you wish to bear more fruit?

Well...the more we allow to God to prune us through His discipline and timing, the more we are saying "yes" to what He wants for our lives. Through saying "yes," we will experience more and more of the goodness, mercy, and compassion God wants us to pour out onto others for His kingdom! Yes, that means, the more we are pruned, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it may seem at the time, the more fruit we will begin to bear and see to fruition in our lives. When we allow this process to take place and watch God transform us, and then allow ourselves to be used, we begin this whirlwind of emotions that I cannot begin to explain. He gives us unspeakable joy and fulfillment, because He becomes our fulfillment. He also gives us peace in every situation. Though we may experience thorns throughout the pruning process, those thorns are part of who we become in the Lord because we are allowing Him to heal the wounds that those thorns caused.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23-24

I pray this for my life as well as yours. I pray that you would allow God to break down every barrier and stronghold in your life. I pray that you would not worry about tomorrow, but live for today and all that He has given us TODAY. I pray that you would come to the realization that as long as we are seeking the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, that we do not have to worry about what the enemy will throw at us, or even who we will become.

I use to worry about being a good friend, an honorable daughter, a respectful future wife, and a devoted mother, but the Lord broke those vain imaginations of what I thought those things looked like that I had built in my mind. The Lord has since showed me that loving and following him with reckless abandonment is all He calls me to do, and through doing so I will possess those skills and godly qualities automatically. I will trust God to instill in me wisdom and patience when it comes to cultivating these qualities, and through meditating on His Word I will be pruned continually, and ever-growing and learning in His ways!

What an amazing adventure He will bring to your life if you allow it!