Pruning and thorns

Wow, June is such a pretty month. We have been in this house for 24 years, and in that time I have planted many rose bushes, uhhh, now that I am 24 years older,they are a lot to take care of. I recently went away for a long 5 day weekend, only to come home to my roses totally in bloom. They are breathtaking. I have learned many spiritual lessons, from my roses. One of which is John 15:1-5 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. 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. you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Now that many days have passed, with a little help from the rain, my roses need a good pruning. The flowers, have browned, and wilted. If I choose not to prune, I will not get the enjoyment of seeing anymore flowers or fruit this summer. "Abide in Me" To abide means to stay connected. It is so easy to fill up our time in the summer months with fun things to do. But if we do not stay connected to Christ, the Vine, we will quickly see that our fruit will wither, and fade. Pruning is painful, but always productive. It is not up to us to produce the results of pruning, and we are not responsible for producing the fruit. People look at my roses and ask how I get them to look so beautiful. Really its not anything about me, I just prune them. I learned when to cut, where to cut, and how much to cut. That is really all there is to know. The Master gardener knows all there is to know about pruning. It is how we respond to the painful process. Some people actually believe that a pain-free, trouble-free life is a reflection of spirital health. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about the parable of the fig tree(Luke 13:6-9)? When Jesus walked by and saw no fruit He wanted to cut it down, but He allowed it one more season. God will not forever tolerate our lack of productivity (Luke 6:43-46, Matt 7 15-20 ). Three times Paul asked God to remove the "thorn in his flesh" We might think about how and why it could benefit Paul to have this constant reminder of this pain. The Lord was teaching Paul "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Pauls response? "Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me" Is that not powerful? "May the power of Christ overshadow me?" That has been my hearts cry. God demonstrated His power and His glory through Paul's thorn, not by removing it. Is God pruning you right now so you'll bear more fruit? (Matt 12:33)Is He fulfilling His ultimate purpose in you by allowing this discomfort? God extended grace sufficient for the thorn. For Paul godliness with contentment was great gain. What do we do during this process of pruning? we stay connected to the vine. We rely on Him. We draw ever so close. He is our power-source. May we be overshadowed by His Power! May we stay in constant communication with our creator. May we be in constant conversational prayer. God knows our thoughts and concerns before we can even speak them. Honestly share your heart with Him. Talk to Him, dump on Him, He can take it. We all have thorns is our lives. If we don't now, get ready, cause the pruning is coming. We can whine or win. What is your thorn producing today in you, for His kingdom? We are all works in progress. We fail, we fall into temptation. Admit our failures, and ask for the grace and forgiveness to move forward. God delights in cleaning up our hearts, and restoring us into right relationship with Him and others. And yes, it is a moment-by-moment process. We can't do it on our own. God will provide the strength and the power to continue. Communication and confession help us stay connected to the vine, the power (Luke 3:8-9). So as I prune back my roses, I may get stuck with a few thorns. But let it be a constant reminder, to stay connected. That His power may be my power-source. And "May I be overshadow by His Power."