Are you being pruned?

As any good gardener will tell you, there are times you really have to drastically prune a plant for it to produce the biggest flower or fruit.  It can feel like you are going to kill the poor plant as you cut the old stems away, but it forces the plant to grow healther and stronger, which will improve the plant as a whole.

Here is an example, I have a large snowball bush in my back yard that produces large white balls of flowers - one on each stem.  In early spring I have to cut the bush down to the ground. If I didn’t prune it - it would still bloom, but the flowers would be small and the bush would be straggly. But when I do cut it back - the bush grows so much better; full of leaves and huge balls of flowers.

Did you know that God does the same to us? He will prune away the old, damage growth from out lives.  At times, you might not even realize what is going on and it can really hurt when you are experiencing God's pruning.  You may find big changes happening in your life which you have not expected. You could discover that there are some people who had been in your life have been removed, or an unexpected job loss or change - it could be anything that may be coming between you and the Father.  I know in my life, I did not understand what was happening until later when I reflected on the changes in my life.  My eyes have been opened several times when I see what has happened after all the dust has settled.  My faith has grown deeper, I am able to really talk with the Lord in a different way; and my focus has changed away from myself.

 You can choose to grow with the pruning or stay stagnant - it is completely up to you - the Lord will never force you.  It takes a great deal of trust in the Lord to works through a pruning, but when done, you will find a richer life and a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Ask the Father to help prune away from your life the things or people who are disrupting your faith.