Prayer

DAILY READING

Luke 13:1-9 

I am one of those with no green thumb whatsoever. I’ve killed more plants than I can count. 

That said, I’ve always found it fascinating… the whole pruning process. I, in my horticultural ignorance, thought when you prune a bush or tree, you remove only the dead parts. But, because I am a lover of words, I looked up “pruning” one day and – much to my surprise – found pruning is the cutting away of dead AND living parts so that more growth may occur. 

This proved to be so when one Saturday, my husband and I decided to do some yard work. He decided to whack away at one of our crepe myrtle trees because it had already bloomed that year. Before I knew it, he had removed so much that I thought we wouldn’t see anything the next summer! But I still gave him the thumbs up because that’s what you do to encourage your spouse! 

Leaving a week later on a mission trip, we were gone for two weeks. I’ll not soon forget, when we drove onto our street upon our return, the crepe myrtle tree was blooming again, more glorious in color than before! It was as if the crepe myrtle was begging us for just a bit more time… “Just watch and see!” And the same can be for us as we pray for more fruitfulness. Just as the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, He is lovingly attending to us, pruning away those things that hinder while also pruning away at the things which are to remain so we might grow and be even more fruitful. As you pray, as I pray, may we diligently pursue the necessary things in our lives which are a part of our calling… and allow the Lord to reduce those things in our lives which are not necessary and only hold us back… that He might receive ALL the glory.

ACTION FOR THE DAY

What do you think the Lord is pruning away in your life for further fruitfulness? As you surrender some of those unnecessary things, how does that make you feel?