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II Samuel 9:1-11:27, John 15:1-27, Psalm 119:49-64, Proverbs 16:1-3
“I am the true Vine, and My Father is the Gardner. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops. He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you. Take care to live in Me and let Me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from Me.” John 15:1-4
Some of the best truths ever! Let’s break it down. First, Jesus is our connector to the Kingdom, to the Father. We cannot reach Him without going through our relationship with Jesus. Secondly, when we are in relationship with the Father, it’s necessary to recognize that He will allow pain to enter our space in order to produce growth. How do I know this? Well, if someone got a pair of shears after us, I’d imagine it would be somewhat painful. Some areas of our lives need to be cut off completely, they’re dead branches. Some areas only need to be cut back in order to make us better, more productive. Lastly, Jesus said anything we do apart from Him will not prosper. It is impossible to produce the kind of fruit God is looking for if we are not being led by Him and in daily contact with Him. We just don’t have what it takes.
PRAYER: Lord, I pray You give me a desire every day to seek You and to further develop my relationship with You. Help me to trust You as You cut back areas of my life that I may find painful and maybe sometimes, unnecessary. I know You can see beyond what I see so I want to be totally trusting and dependent on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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