Pruning=Necessary
Good morning/afternoon/evening beautiful people. I hope you are all well and as always, here is something the Lord has been showing me which I hope will bless you guys as well.
Read on...
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For the past 28 days (to be exact), I have been studying John 15. Every post, sermons and videos I came across kept bringing me back to John 15. Every question I posed to God, He led me back to John 15 (He's doing that even now!) and I thought to myself, sometimes the answer to most of our requests to God are simple but we over-complicate it.
God was telling me that all I needed to do was to remain in Him and I will bear fruit as apart from Him, I can do nothing (John 15:5). The beginning of this chapter talks about pruning which is what I wanted to write about. Often times, we fear the pruning season because we think God is going to take so much away and leave us alone and empty. The harsh but beautiful truth I had to realise was that if it is necessary for these things to go, why should I hold on to them?
Then came the realisation that pruning isn't negative from God's perspective. It is our perspective that makes something so vital to our wellbeing in Christ, seem like the worst thing God can do. Pruning is actually God just taking away what you do not need in your next season. He does this by bringing these things to the surface for you to realise that you actually don't need them and nudges you to bring it before Him.
The same way we decide to leave behind some things or people from our lives because we realise their effects, is the same way God sees what is affecting us negatively or just what we don't need anymore, and then prunes it away. So why do we fear it? I believe what needs to change is our perspective of pruning. God revealed to me that sometimes we just don't fully understand and we know the word but do we understand what it means to its full extent?. And I also think through the example of myself, is the fact that sometimes without realising, I'm trying to understand with my flesh whereas I should be understanding in the Spirit. Remaining means "recognising that we are students under the Holy Spirit and through Him, more and more revelations unfold" - Stephanie Ike. Likewise, through Him is how we understand the word of God.
I was listening to a sermon by Stephanie Ike called 'While I'm Waiting' and one thing she said which blew my mind and made me realise was the fact that the disciples were going through a constant pruning season. She used the example of Peter and Judas to explain in a sense, how pruning takes place. She mentioned that the difference between Peter and Judas was that both had their struggles brought to the surface but it was only Peter who acknowledged it and remained in Christ so he could overcome it, whereas Judas decided to hide it and was consumed by it.
So, I say all this to say that God would not be God if He didn't shape us in preparation for what He has for us. He has seen into the future and He's doing what is needed to prepare you for that. So ask yourself as I asked myself, would you rather He dropped you in it? Why shouldn't He close that door if it's going to harm you? Why shouldn't He remove what is going to distract you? Let Him do His work.
However on the other hand, God wouldn't be God if He forced you. You have to invite Him in. God will let you do your own thing if you decided to so you learn why He didn't want you to go down that path in the first place. But the difference between God and the enemy is that God doesn't bring shame. He lets you learn and when you go back to Him, He welcomes you with open arms and as you surrender to Him, He works on you.
So may this encourage you to not fight what God is doing. Surrender to the process and you will come out bearing much fruit and understanding what God did. Pruning increases your capacity. It actually just creates room for more of God and what He wants you to possess.
Be encouraged and stay blessed in Jesus mighty name, Amen. Love you guys xxx