It might seem foolish to cut back vine branches to produce more and better grapes, yet pruning works. In the same way, the Lord uses “counterproductive” cutbacks in our lives, like my cancer battle. I informed Him, “Lord, I could be so much more productive if You would only change my circumstances.” He basically said, “Stay sticky, my friend.” He was up to something and wanted me to stay with Him, to abide.
We might conclude trials signify He is angry with us or disciplining us for lack of faith. Yet Jesus stated the opposite. The reason He prunes those who bear some fruit is to enable them to produce more fruit. In His words:
John 15:1-2, 4-5 – “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 it so that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Abide means to stay. He promises He will always stay or stick with us. Yet, unless we “stay sticky” by consciously depending on the life of Christ, He says we can do “nothing.” Wait, nothing? Nothing of spiritual value. He sure is dogmatic on this matter of life source! So stay sticky, my friends.
Yet first things first. Perhaps you have not taken that first step of receiving Christ into your life. He enters in by mutual invitation. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” I encourage you to receive Him right now! More on receiving Christ here.
To sum up, He allows hardships to bring us to the end of our human strength, that we might draw supernatural resources from Him. So don’t fight trials. By all means, ask Him to remove them, but temporary trials are a trail to experience His fullness. This is true: I heard it through the grape vine Creator. Stay sticky, my friends!
More here on receiving Jesus as your Savior.
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