Are You In Need Of Pruning?

Being a teenager, I had a desire to clean my life up. I made mental notes on the things that needed to be changed such as my temper, my tongue, and a desire to love my family more. Growing up, my parents bought me an organ and every day I would play it for the Lord. I didn't care what song I was playing, it was for Jesus.

So by the time I reached high school, the Lord was speaking to my heart and one dayI gave my life over to Him. But when it came to living out my faith, I failed miserably. I was like a yo-yo. I would read my Bible one day, but not the next. My prayer life was in shambles, but I still had this aching desire to know the Lord more. And my relationship with my father became very strained. I was a mess and didn't know why.

Now, as I look back, I see the issue. I wasn't keeping my eyes on the Lord. I was still rebellious and a perfectionist. My life, my heart, needed pruning. 

 John 15:4-5 ESV [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

We weren't meant to live life alone. As humans, we crave community to share the good and the bad days with and to get advice. We wrestle with questions, doubts, etc. together. So why not with God? Deep inside our hearts, we experience an emptiness that we fill up with worldly things and desires. These things feel good at the time, but they are just distractions. We need something more. 

I believe deep down inside we all crave Jesus. That desire to search for more meaning in our lives or our main purpose to being born.  I believe this is the Lord reminding us that we need Him. 

He wants us to talk to Him and tell Him why we don't believe in Jesus. What our doubts, fears, and dreams are even though He already knows them. I can't stress this enough. We are His creation and God enjoys seeing us live for Him. It's a life-long lesson to learn and a very important one.

"Apart from me you can do nothing." We can try to make ourselves better, even reading all the self-help books, but to have true peace in our lives, Jesus is the only way. Through our relationship with Him, we learn to trust the Lord and to grow fruit in our lives. So what is this fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Have you ever tried to be patient with difficult people on your own? It's the most frustrating thing. Or how about being joyful in a situation where you are the one being taken advantage of or where everything is going wrong? Although your intentions may be good, you end up giving up and avoiding God all together. I've been there and it's a horrible place to be. This is why, as Christians, we need God to prune the bad fruit from our lives. To mold us into the type of person we need to be. 

Dear Lord, I want to believe in you, but I have issues that I struggle with that get in the way. Please speak to my heart and help me overcome the doubts, fears, and sins that are holding me back from giving you my whole heart. Prune my life Lord. I need you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Love Covers A Multitude of Sins

 My dad was raised in a broken home. Every day he faced abuse by his father and was told he was no good by his grandfather. But despite all this, he was loved. God had placed people in his life that would stand up for him and protect him and his sisters. 

One such person was his mother. One story my father told me during his last bout with cancer made me think about God’s love for us. My grandfather was beating my aunt with a belt and my grandmother, without hesitation, ran over to her daughter and threw herself on top of her. She endured the beating.

In fact, my grandmother stepped in many times on behalf of not just her daughters but also my father. Both her and my great-grandmother were the rock that my father clung to growing up and whenever he would talk about them, tears would well up in his eyes. Others who saw the effects of the abuse were like guardians to my dad. He grew up protecting his sisters, my mom, my brothers, and I because of the people God had placed in his life. 

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

Likewise, Jesus took a beating for us when he was crucified. He died for us and three days later, God raised him from the dead so we could seek forgiveness and salvation. And just like my grandmother’s love for her daughter covered her,  God’s love covers us as well. All we have to do is accept Jesus into our lives and ask forgiveness for our sins.

God made a way for us when no one else could. He seeks a commitment with us - a relationship with His creation. He wants to hear from us and show us things we don’t know. And one day, Jesus will stand up for us as we stand before God when our time on this earth is over. 

Eventually, my grandfather stopped the abuse and it took years for my father to forgive him. But he did long after my grandfather’s death. In the 90’s, I had the honor of watching my dad accept Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade and became the one who nurtured his faith through the years, and helped take care of him before he died in 2023. 

Have you felt the Lord tugging on your heart? Do you want to receive salvation and a place in heaven one day? Then pray this prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus,

I want a new start to the life you gave me. I want a way of escape when it comes to how I have messed up. I can’t do this on my own. Please forgive me and be Lord over my life. Thank you for what you did on the cross for me and what you’ve done for me today. Teach me, Holy Spirit, what I need to know in order to live a life for you and to forgive those who have hurt me. In Jesus name, Amen.