pain of the pruning.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatably] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. John 15:2 (AMP)

I prayed the hard prayer… Lord remove anyone who is not meant to be in my life to make room for the right people… and He answered by pruning me bare. 

Deep down, I knew the pruning was the work of the Lord’s hand. Yet, as I found myself wilting under the weight of hurt rather than bearing fruit, I questioned His plan. One day, as I mourned the loss, the Lord whispered… you don’t understand now what I am doing, but later you will understand. 

Through the blur of my tears, I couldn’t see the Lord working, when all along, He was collecting my every tear in His watering can, for He had a plan to facilitate growth from my greatest pain.

Maybe, like me, the Lord is calling you to surrender something you once held dearly… whether it is a job, a relationship, or a position. Holding on has burdened you with a weight you were never meant to carry, yet you are scared to let go.

You aren’t alone, and you were never meant to bear the pain of release alone. In John 15:5, the Lord says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

It is when we come to the end of our own strength, loosening our grip and letting go, that we may cling onto His strength. When we stop striving for control, we start abiding in His presence.

As I brought the Lord my deepest pain, it brought me into deep intimacy with Him. I didn’t yet understand what He was doing, but through time in His word, I began to understand His character. 

His ways are higher and His plans are higher than our own, and He will give us more than we ask for or imagine when we are willing to surrender.

Today, don’t be afraid to pray the hard prayer. May we be thankful for the pain of pruning, for it draws us closer to the Lord, producing the fruits of the spirit within us.

-AKT