Pruning for Fruitfulness

In all this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6

You may have learned at some point that wildfires actually can be positive for burning out old, dead wood and allowing for new growth.  God’s trials are our great refinery.  Every one of us experiences it.  But only Christians have the promises and therefore the hope for truly brighter days.  Only we have the guiding, comforting light of the Holy Spirit to remind us He is always with us.  

As the faithful we are led to forgive those who persecute us.  Not only forgive but to love.  Our fruit of our faith is joy, peace, patience, love, gentleness, kindness, self-control and faithfulness (Galatians 5:22).

If during a trial you don’t have this fruit you have to ask yourself if you have truly surrendered to Christ.  Or are you, as Pastor Tim Keller once said, “Sitting in God’s seat”?  Meaning, are you the arbiter of “the ways things should and must be?”  Are you so angry, sad or distraught when, after you’ve determined what is best in your life, that it all goes so differently? You’re sitting in God’s seat. 

The secular world says, “There is no future so I must have all my happiness in the ‘now.’” When that inevitable trial or suffering comes, the worldly are thrown into despair.  They think life should always be good.  But as the faithful we should and must put our ultimate happiness in the eternal.  When suffering comes to us it is to be expected because we live in a fallen world.  On the flip side, when life is good, we should be thanking God for what is actually the “unusual.”

Gopher Holes

This garden we are all in has a lot of gopher holes that have been dug out by the world who live by fleshly desires.  Greed, selfishness, hatred, unforgiveness, unkindness, sexual immorality and more are the result of Satan’s pull on mankind.  And it all slams against us at one time or another.  Trying to pluck us from His hands.

But God.  

He gives us this beautiful promise: “And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20).  Jesus said this to the apostles as He sent them out to spread the seeds of the Gospel because He knew what they would face.  Death and persecution would follow them everywhere.

Is this all to just “get through” safely to eternity?  In one way, yes.  But remember those fruits?  We don’t have the fruit of fear and drudgery and timidity.  We have the fruits of what so many seek through self-help books and psychology.  Our trials help us learn to persevere and grow closer to God in trust.  They show us that He is truly worthy of all our praise.  He provides and protects until He calls us home.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

Beautiful Blossoms

So again, I ask, have you come out stronger in your trials?  Has your faith beautifully blossomed?  If not, it’s time to reflect.  To ask yourself if you missed God in the suffering and in the calm.  If you missed an opportunity for peace in the pain.  If you still seek to control outcomes and sit in God’s seat.  Are your roots at the surface or are they grounded deep in the love and knowledge of God?

You will face something difficult again.  He is trustworthy and has a plan for you.  Through your tears, ask Him to reveal Himself at work.  In your anxiousness ask Him to make your path straight.  In your heavy burden take up His offer to turn it all over to Him.

I promise you, because I have seen Him at work through many people, including myself, you will see your faith grow by leaps and bounds.  And the world will have a difficult time pulling your deep roots from God’s rich soil.

This week’s question: What promise of God have you relied on during difficult times?

Next week join me as we delve into the truth and the beauty of obedience and submission.