John 15:1-2 (NIV)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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.
Following on from our Harvest weekend I’ve spoken in the last few days about some of my experiences of my weekend. Today I want to focus on another thing I was reminded of during our harvest celebrations…God is a gardener!
What, you didn’t know God was a gardener? Well He is, but not in the conventional sense, He’s the gardener of our lives.
We’re reminded in John 15:1-2 that God He looks after each of our lives and helps us to toss out the parts of our lives which are not productive, i.e. the parts of our lives which are not a true likeness of Him. However on the other hand, the areas of our lives which are pleasing to Him, spreading His message He will help nurture and grow so that we can become more productive in witnessing for Him.
God will help us be all He needs us to be, however if we try and grow on our own without a strong spirutal root in Him, we may do ok for a short time, but ultimately, like trees, plants and flowers that are cut off from their roots, they will fail to thrive.
We must make sure that we don’t forget to include God in all we try to do for Him, because if our actions and words are not grounded in His love, there is nothing. i.e. We must remain firmly rooted in the true vine, God.
