This Week’s Bible Verse with Commentary:
John 15: 1-4.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
As the branches, we derive little enjoyment in ourselves when we are pruned. But that is not key to understanding this passage of Scripture. We don’t enjoy it, but God, the gardener, does. Just like you won’t leave your flower to outgrow what design you intended for it, so does God shapes us to that perfect plan of His. Sometimes, when God rips us off the things we so hold dear, we feel empty, weak, and perplexed. Even times God comes to overturn the tables where which we have “adequately planned” our lives. Still, He seems to occupy us with people, places, and things we don’t understand or like. Yet He is pruning those earthly disfigurations that mars our divine configuration; the sins that easily entangles us; and the parcels of pride we don’t want to part with. I wouldn’t be saying this if I have not in time past held on to something, or someone, or even things that look good and pose no harm. God didn’t have to break me then re-mould me, He simply gave me a New Heart, a New Spirit. And this spirit always wants to do it “the Lord’s way”.
Nehemiah told his people, “…do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” We might not enjoy the pruning but we should endure it. God is “enjoying” us, and in His “joy” lies our strength. When we feel weak and empty when He prunes us, we rather should experience the “joy” in His “enjoyment”. So where we usually feel empty we replace with fullness, where we should be perplexed we are confident, and where we were weak we should be strong. We should be convinced on the personality of the Gardner, whom the Scripture says knows the plans He has for us, to prosper and not harm, to give hope and a future. One way to commit your life to someone is to know what “will the person do for, offer, and sacrifice for me?” And God has demonstrated great love for us; in that while we were yet sinners Christ died. When we trust God wholly in this, trusting in Him and not leaning on our own understanding, we exhibit the Greater Faith, which says, “Let it be to me, according to your Word”, not “I want it my way!” And which is no way but a dead end.
I do hope in the power of the Holy Spirit this piece hasten your surrender to God.
Please check below the song lyrics and picture for today’s mail. I encourage you to download the song! And please leave a comment whenever you can! Have a blessed week!
Song Artiste: Hillsong United.
Title: Oceans Will Part.
If my heart has grown cold, there Your love will unfold
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
When I’m blind to my way, there Your Spirit will pray
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
Oceans will part, nations come
At the whisper of Your call
Hope will rise, glory shown
In my life Your will be done
Present suffering may pass, Lord, Your mercy will last
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hands
And my heart will find praise, I’ll delight in Your way
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hands
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
Oceans will part, nations come
At the whisper of Your call
Hope will rise, glory shown
In my life Your will be done
Oceans will part, nations come
At the whisper of Your call
Hope will rise, glory shown
In my life Your will be done,
Your will be done
Will be done, Your will be done
As You open my eyes
To the work of Your hand
Jesus open my eyes
To the work of Your hand
Oceans will part, nations come
At the whisper of Your call
Hope will rise, glory shown
In my life Your will be done
Oceans will part, nations come
At the whisper of Your call
Hope will rise, glory shown
In my life Your will be done
In my life Your will be done
In my life Your will be done.
Picture:
