The holidays are over and everything comes to a dead stop and reality and routine wakes us up this cold winter morning.
As I spent some time reading today's devotion, I was reminded of a verse that spoke to me last year.
Matthew 3: 10 "And even now the AXE is laid at the root of the trees"
Again, I thought about how a farmer is always looking after his crop and he does everything he can to cause his trees to bring forth fruit.
He will soil and fertilize and prune.
If however, you walk through his orchard and see an axe by a tree and there is no fruit on the tree, you can safely assume, the tree HAS PROVEN to be incurable and at a convenient time it will be cut down and burned.
The greatest and wisest farmer of all the land is the Lord God our wonderful creator!
He planned everything perfectly.
In the beginning of all our lives God planted us the same.
In good, prosperous soil and has given us all opportunities of His divine grace.
But the reality is we have many trees just occupying the land, bearing no fruit and not recognizing their God given opportunities.
My greatest desire for you and me this NEW YEAR is that we allow God to get to the ROOTS of our personal lives. God desires for us to know Him in greater ways.
Remember the ROOT is where things spring from.
God can get to the root of our tree and cut out what is hindering us from moving forward in 2012
Our root is like our heart and out of our heart springs the issues of life.
We all have issues and areas that need to be cut away. God has huge dreams for you friend. But if we allow our roots to rot eventually the tree needs to be cut down and DREAMS DIE!
Allow God to take the Axe of his love and grace and chop off what is detrimental to our spiritual growth and God given dreams.
I have some things that I need chopped away how about you? Things that never got taken care of at the root.
We cannot do this without HIS help.
God wants to show you in 2012 the path of life and how in His presence you will find true JOY!
Gods dream for you is...
To be a tree planted by a river of water that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf will not wither and whatever he does SHALL PROSPER! Psalm 1:3
You will prosper in 2012 my friend!
Most of us think that when God prunes us, he cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives. He does do that, but he also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful: a business that is going great, a satisfying relationship, good health. Some of that may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It is not just deadwood that goes. God often cuts back good things too, in order to make us healthier. It is not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth.
You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive so that more fruit may be produced. This can be confusing. We believe that we are being fruitful and are puzzled, even frustrated, by God’s pruning. We ask, “Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s failing. I have committed my health to you, but I’m going into the hospital next week.
Isn’t that what we say to God when he prunes us? “Don’t you love me? Don’t you care? Don’t you see what’s going on?” And we think God is angry with us. No, he’s not angry. One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is confusing pruning with punishment. Pruning is not punishment, so don’t equate the two. God is not angry with you. He just sees that you are someone who can bear more fruit, someone who has potential for greatness, someone he wants to use in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you possibly can be, so he prunes you back, God has a better idea. He sees what you do not see.
God uses problems, pressures, and people to prune.
People will criticize and challenge you. They will question and doubt you. They will challenge your motives.
God is using them to prune you. As I have said throughout this book, God can use every situation in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude.
He can use it all—the problems you bring on yourself, a major disappointment, a financial reversal, a sudden illness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, the death of a loved one. He will and he does use them all as part of the pruning process to make you even more fruitful.
Over the holidays I spoke with a friend that lost her son in an accident. She told me she had NO desire to read or get closer to God in a relationship. She said "Its not her thing."
I ponder that today and pray this year that she will open up to all God has for her. I know is a hard situation and many times we cannot grasp that God has something good because we hurt so bad.
Trust God more this year friend, this is todays journal entry for me:
PRAISE: That even in the situation of not feeling my personal dream really taking off, I know that God is pruning what is alive for a bigger purpose I do not see.
PLAN: To stay focused and faithful. To ask God to continue to prune what is holding my tree back from growing. I wrote some areas down in my journal that I feel need pruning. These certain areas seem very hard for me but with God all things are possible.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please be with the readers of today's Blog. I pray that someone may really begin to understand that you desire so much for their lives. I pray we all grow more in understanding your will for our lives. I know that many do not even recognize you as part of their New years plans. I pray that through difficult situations, that you draw them closer to you. Thank you for working ALL things for our good even when we do not turn toward you at first.
Please take time to journal your prayer, plan and praise
Blessings friends,
