A time to prune...

About an hour before dark tonight I decided to prune my four rose bushes in my front yard. I have only done this twice. When I first moved in I wanted to just pull them out and make more parking. Then I decided I would just cut them back some. That first time I cut them back it took almost 3 hours. I started just trimming them then finally ended up hacking them back to almost nothing. I had cut them back so far I thought they would not produce any more roses this year. The LORD really ministered to me during that night. I remember Him saying, “this is what it looks like when you wait too long to cut the junk out of your life”. It gets overwhelming. To my surprise a week later there were a ton of beautiful roses. That was about a month ago.

All those beautiful rose peddles fell off and only the dead heads were left. It was looking pretty ugly. Not as ugly as the first time, but lots off dead stuff taking away the ability for new roses to grow. So, tonight I decided to prune them again. It was much easier this time but I was still amazed at how much needed to be cut off. It was awesome however to see all the new growth. Even though I cut everything back again it took only an hour this time. The first time I cut a bunch of branches that had no life in them at all. This time there were only a few like that.

This was a great reminded of the LORD’s love. He loves us enough to prune our lives. He loves us enough to cut off the dead things that have no value and keep us from growing. We all know it’s painful at times. The more pruning needed the more painful it is. When the pruning is done however, we SEE more clearly, BREATHE more deeply, have more LIFE, have more to GIVE, and our whole COUNTANCE shines brighter. The passage that came to mind is John 15. Below are two versions from verses 1-5.

John 15 NKJV
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 “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.

John 15 (Amplified Bible)
1I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. 3You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. 4Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. 5I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Life is to too short be a deadhead.