Do Not Be Afraid of God’s Pruning in Your Life: John 15:2
Introduction: Every branch that bears fruit must be pruned to bear much more fruit. I have a tomato plant that has been living for over two years now. Every winter the cold weather and heavy breeze kill more than half of the vines and leafs. If I don’t prune the dead, it will spread and kill the whole plant. Therefore, I must prune what is wilted to save the rest of the plant. In turn, the plant grows bigger, stronger, and bears more tomatoes than before. The tomatoes don’t only multiply, but they are much more pleasing in their flavor.
We must allow God to prune the wilted friends, habits, thoughts, and possessions out of our lives. By allowing this to happen, we will grow stronger and bear more fruit for the Kingdom of God. We will not only add to the Kingdom in quantity, but also in quality. The fruit we bear will be much more pleasing to God. Like David did, ask God to search your heart of any offense. David wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
Jesus said that His Father prunes His children. The richest, fullest, most fruitful lives are those that have been strengthened through the painful process of tribulation. We have no right to think God will use us until He cuts away whatever may hinder our growth. What we see as tragedies may be only blessings in disguise, and the very opportunities through which God chooses to exhibit His love and grace.
Has the dearest in life been torn from you? Have all your dreams faded?
Remember that if you could see these problems from the standpoint of God’s wisdom and of eternity, you would be able to dry your eyes and praise the Lord for all of these. God will not withhold any good thing “from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). Even in your painful situation, you can trust Him to so what is best.
Christ cuts away the unusable only to make us more usable.
1. Jesus knew that God often uses tragedy to cause people to look to heaven for solutions to their problems. Jesus said, “Every branch that does not bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2). We need to thank the Lord for His pruning of our certain habits, thoughts, and dependencies.
2. Jesus knows that people need to die to themselves and their desires before god can properly use them. The Lord said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). Ask God for a greater yielding attitude, so you can enjoy greater spiritual success.
3. Jesus knew that sometimes we must step aside in order for God’s greater work to be done. The Lord Jesus said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). Ask God for the wisdom to know when to step aside to allow God to use whomever He wants to get His will accomplished.
4. Jesus knew that persecution is a part of god’s plan to help us mature in all aspects of life. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of me” (Matthew 5:13-14). Ask the Lord to give you greater endurance to withstand the tests, trials and hardships that are a part of God’s plans.
5. Jesus knew that adversity often happens to the godly as a means of greater visibility for God’s Kingdom and righteousness. Our Lord Jesus said, “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a sacrifice to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me” (John 16:1-3). Ask God to see the silver lining behind every dark cloud of adversity.
6. Jesus knew that hardship often happens so that we can see how the Lord turns our grief to joy. The Great Shepherd said, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). Ask the Lord to give you greater faith enabling you to see how God can turn any grief into greater lasting joy.
7. Jesus knew that things often get worse in minor areas, so that we can learn how to assume greater responsibilities. The Master said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted in much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). Ask the Lord to help you be faithful and effective with your minor duties, so God can promote you to greater responsibilities.
8. Jesus knew that the Lord uses difficulties to weed out those who are not fit for leadership. The Lord Jesus said, “They all alike began to make excuses…” (Luke 14:18). “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Ask the Lord to help you not be disqualified because of unwilling to surrender all for God’s will.
9. Jesus knew that adversity is often used to accomplish the greater purposes of God throughout society. The Lord Jesus said, “Neither this blind man sinned nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:4). Ask the Lord to give you greater insight into how the Lord uses everyone and everything for His sovereign purposes.
10. Jesus knew that God can use politically motivated investigations for greater teaching. Jesus said, “Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs? So they were divided. The healed man answered, “You do not know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does His will” (John 9:16, 30-31). Ask God to give you the patience to let the Lord use politically motivated investigations to accent God’s truth.
11. Jesus knew that God could even use Judas Iscariot for His glory. Jesus said, “He who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me. I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. Jesus was troubled in spirit and said, “ I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray Me” (John 13:18). Ask God to give you the grace, wisdom and strength to endure betrayals.
