Pruning

Pruning Lavender Plants

Beloved,

I've been spending every available moment working in my flower gardens the past few weeks. The spring work includes cutting back the dead and unproductive branches of my roses and lavender and many other perennials that died back during the cold winter months. It's a lot of work cleaning out the spent flower stalks and reshaping the plants so that they will produce an abundance of flowers to enjoy throughout the season. Right now, some of my precious plants look harshly chopped and decimated. If I didn't know what the end results will be, it would appear that I had ruined my garden!

All the work brought me to thinking about Jesus' teaching us that He is the true vine and His Father is the vinedresser. He said, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. " (John 15: 1-2) As I studied the word "prunes" in that verse, I found that the word means 'to cleanse, purify, to be pure, clean, without stain, without spot.' (1)

I've been through some pretty painful pruning in my life. I've felt the painful 'snap' of His pruning shears removing the things I've allowed to taint my life; to stain my heart or mind or emotions. I've resisted His tender cleansing of my dreams and hurts and expectations that had the potential to consume my fruit for Him, or worse, allow unchecked growth in a destructive direction. There have been times I've felt completely cut back in freedom or liberty, only to realize that I have been saved from myself and my own selfishness.

Pruning is good and necessary for the gardener. It is hard work and must be deliberate and consistent. How I wish to submit myself to the most ruthless pruning possible in the faithful hands of my Heavenly Father! I pray for the courage to surrender myself humbly to His tenderhearted cleansing.

"By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:8

Passionately serving Christ,

Kathy

(1) Spiros Zodhiates, Lexical aids to the New Testament, The Hebrew-Greek Study Bible, NAS Bible, AMG Publishers 1984 & 1990, page 1843.