This post is about a precious rev (revelation) which has touched my life in the last couple of days. I hope it encourages you as you read.
For most of my Christian life I've always read this next peice of scripture with a distorted view:
John 15vs1 onwards
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 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...."
I've always read these couple of verses with a certain picture in my head where those branches not bearing fruit are clipped right off of the vine and thrown away. But in reading this portion of scripture again I've found something beautiful about the true heart of God. I hope you get my angle on this.
Where it talks about the branch that does not bear fruit, it says 'He takes away', the other meaning for this phrase is also "He lifts up." So picture this, The Vinedresser is looking at the branches, and those which aren't bearing any fruit He lifts up! There is no mention of Him snipping them off at all, infact He lifts them up maybe to examine them, maybe to move and adjust them on the vine so that they are helped to bear fruit.
Doesn't that just change your perspective about God? It does for me.
When we feel like we aren't bearing fruit in our lives, for example, being influential, using our gifts, changing people's lives etc, God does not remove us from Himself (the Vine), but rather He lifts us up to Himself, He moves us around, adjusts our lives, puts us in a new light or in a different position, so that we can start bearing fruit again.
He is not a God who takes to our lives with clippers to teach us a lesson, but rather one who gently brings us to Himself. He wants the best for us always, and sometimes the best for us is a simple heart change rather than a performance test. He doesn't compare us to others who may seem like they succeed at everything, so why do we?
Let Him lift you up today. Let Him reposition you closer to Himself so that you can be who He has made you to be. And maybe, just maybe He has you in the shade so that you realise it's not always about what you do, but who you are.....in Him.
You are the vine
We are the branches
Keep us abiding in You
3 comments:
haha - I had a rev the other night about the same scripture but a slightly different angle! Freaky. Great post!!
woh never saw that before! thanks neen :) u r a real treasure who always has the most amazing insight. I pray God blesses you richly in evry possible way this week
PaisleyJade - ooooh I'd love to hear what you got out of it!
RachelKate - thank you so much for your awesome encouragement! Made my day today.
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