Pruning

Do you want to bear fruit in service to the Lord or do you want to become dried up and dead? The one who resists the pruning of the Lord eventually will not bear fruit and will be cut off.

“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.

If you do not prune a vine the branches, instead of producing fruit, will start to produce more foliage. The foliage then will begin to block out the sun. The other thing that happens if you don’t prune a vine is that it becomes more suspectable to disease. The main reason for pruning is actually to prevent rampant growth. The pruning of the Lord actually reduces your growth in the process of the pruning. In James 3 there is a description of demonic wisdom. In that description, there is a characteristic given to that “wisdom”. It is the greek word, eritheia. That word specifically means electioneering or intriguing for office. It is self promotion. The interesting thought to this is that James calls this action wisdom. But it is just not heavenly wisdom it is earthly and demonic. In our walk with the Holy Spirit, there is such a call to minister to many and to grow! It is the great commission echoing in our spirit to be preached! It is a great privilege to have that commission reverberate in our very being and the want to grow and expand the gospel and ministry of the Holy Spirit. However strong that call might feel, it is always necessary to yield to the pruning of the Lord. Many people call a hard time in life the “pruning” of the Lord. I would submit that the Lord does not cause circumstances in our life that are evil to prune us. It is actually the opposite. He prunes us so we can face those evil times. The pruning is always uncomfortable. And it is always a reducing. Have you ever felt like your walk with Jesus suddenly changed and you felt far away from Him? Almost like the Lord pulled away from you? Or maybe you had grown to be incredibly confident in the Lord and then suddenly felt that the security you had suddenly vanish and you felt exposed before the Lord and inadequate. This is pruning. He is literally reducing you to strength. Just like Gideon, the Lord is taking away the things that grew too quickly. He is cutting away the rampant growth that is not strictly dependent on Him. The glory of man will always celebrate growth. Growth of any kind in fact! But it is the wisdom of the Lord, to celebrate the pruning. He prunes so that your joy may be full. Even though it sure doesn’t feel like it in the moment. He prunes so the weight of what he does through you doesn’t break you. Remember the main reason why you prune a vine is to prevent the branches from growing to quick and then breaking due to the fruit that is produced through them. Yes Lord, just prune away.