It’s been a while I posted…. I know!
No excuses, just been caught up in a lot of
activities. God has been good all the
same. It’s very imperative I leave us with these few lines to ruminate over as
we shut down from work for the weekend.
John 15: 1- I (Jesus) am
the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. 2 Every branch in Me that
does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He
prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
I will like to rearrange the
passage in my own words and it goes thus:
I (insert your name) am a
branch (a part of a tree that grows out from the main stem; that has leaves,
fruit, or smaller branches growing from it). I am a multi-dimensional being
created in the image and likeness of God to show forth the praises of Him who
has created me for His glory. I am not just a branch,
but I've got smaller branches, I've got leaves, I bear
Fruits all to His glory. Jesus is the Vine (My source of supply of nutrients)
and God is the Vine dresser
(a person who prunes, tends, or cultivates grapevines).
This passage of the scripture
highlights a three-dimensional relationship amongst God the Father, Jesus and I
as an individual with everyone having a part to play. The moral
of this analogy by Jesus can be summed up into Four
1. FEED FROM HIM: He expects us to derive
our nourishment from Him (through His word and constant fellowship with
Him). A branch that is cut off from a tree would soon wither away.
John 15:6 “ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as
a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into
the fire, and they are burned”
2. FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM: You Fellowship with Him by
being with Him on a continual basis. .John 15:3 says “Abide in Me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither
can you, unless you abide in Me”
3. FRUITFUL IN HIM: Bringing
forth fruits; which is the whole essence of our being, is to multiply the
gifts and talents He has given us, grow in His knowledge and grace
and reach out to others in the same way He has reached out to us.
4. FIXED BY HIM (To
fix is to repair something that is broken or not working properly).God prunes,
corrects, and fits us. We are in a fixing process continually. God seeks to fix
us each time we go out of line so we can become better people.
Studies show that pruning
entails cutting off some of the branches of a tree to make it grow better or to
make something smaller by removing parts that you do not need or want.
Pruning is the most common tree
maintenance procedure and
the reasons for pruning are to remove dead branches, crowded or rubbing limbs,
and to eliminate hazards. Trees and plants may also be pruned to increase light
and air penetration to the inside of the tree’s crown or to the landscape
below. In most cases, mature trees are pruned as a corrective or preventive measure.
The slight discomfort and
challenges we face every day and especially in the Christian race are
indicators that God is pruning us so we can bring forth more fruits. If we
don’t experience some of these challenges, shakings and inconveniences, then
chances are we are not bearing fruits and we might as well be cast away.
Hebrews 12:6-12 (Message
Version)
6. It’s the child he loves that he
disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.
7 God is educating you;
that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This
trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training,
8 .the normal experience of
children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves.
Would you prefer an irresponsible God?
9 .We respect our own
parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so
we can truly live?
10. While we were children,
our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us,
training us to live God's holy best.
11. at the time, discipline isn't much fun.
It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays
off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their
relationship with God.
12. So don't sit around on
your hands! No more dragging your feet!
Listen to this: All things belong to God and they are given to us as gifts
and not a claim. There is no talk about human rights here because the Lord is
the Sovereign Owner of all. He desires
that we have all we want and that we can handle them with maturity. Give thanks for what you have and trust Him
for what you don't. Never forget: A man can receive nothing, except it is given to him from above.
Oops, Ouch, Ugh, Phew, Um,
er….. Look beyond your current inconveniences, God after all may be pruning
you, so you can bring forth more Fruits.
The Pen....
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