Have you been feeling stripped lately? Everything that may have provided comfort to you during hard seasons seems to no longer satisfy. Have people walked away from you or you’ve decided to end certain relationships and friendships and you’re not certain why? This might be a pruning season. It is a season where God cuts and sever anything that is no longer serving you and no longer adding value to your life.
John 15:1-4 NLT reads “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
This season is a really tough season as you’re not sure what is coming and what will happen next. It really requires us to trust God and to truly walk by faith. I know all too well because I am in a season of pruning. It is not easy by any means and it is also painful. There are moments of loneliness and moments where I’m uncertain of the future. However, I find peace in the scriptures because it’s clear that places where I am producing fruit, I will produce more and places that I am not producing fruit then it will be severed from me.
It’s hard to look at friendships, relationships, opportunities and places that we give so much of ourselves and see those things end because they are dead and are not adding value to our lives. It’s hard to leave areas where an investment has been made; but, think of the cost of not allowing God to prune those areas. If the pruning doesn’t take place then we are carrying dead weight around with us and it’s taking space where something better can grow. I think that there is a choice to be made here, will we allow the pruning and the hand of God to move in our life or will we choose to stay where we are comfortable. The growth happens when we push past what’s comfortable, we push past the pain and we surrender to the process and the will of God.
My prayer and encouragement for you is to allow God to search your heart and your life and point out anything that is unpleasing to Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all knowledge and truth. Allow the peace of God that passes all understanding to guard your heart and your mind as you trust Him and have faith in the journey. I’m looking forward to see what’s on the other side of this season. Are you?
With Love,