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to Rose's Devotional
 Date Feb 22, 2012 Previous | Next God Prunes Us to Make Us More Fruitful
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2.
Those who will walk closely in the footsteps of their self-sacrificing, self-denying Redeemer will have the mind of Christ reflected in their minds. Purity and the love of Christ will shine forth in their daily lives and characters, while meekness and truth will guide their way. Every fruitful branch is pruned, that it may bring forth more fruit. Even fruitful branches may display too much foliage and appear what they really are not. The followers of Christ may be doing some work for the Master and yet not be doing half what they might do. He then prunes them, because worldliness, self-indulgence, and pride are cropping out in their lives. Husbandmen clip off the surplus tendrils of the vines . . . , thus making them more fruitful. These hindering causes must be removed and the defective outgrowth cut away, to give room for the healing beams of the Sun of Righteousness. . . .
Many misunderstand the object for which they were created. It was to bless humanity and glorify God, rather than to enjoy and glorify self. God is constantly pruning His people, cutting off profuse, spreading branches, that they may bear fruit to His glory and not produce leaves only. God prunes us with sorrow, with disappointment and affliction, that the outgrowth of strong, perverse traits of character may be weakened and that the better traits may have a chance to develop. Idols must be given up, the conscience must become more tender, the meditations of the heart must be spiritual, and the entire character must become symmetrical.
By abiding in Christ, we may have His sweetness, His fragrance, His light. . . . He shines in our hearts. His light in our hearts shines forth from our faces. By beholding the beauty and the glory of Christ, we become changed into the same image.
Sons and Daughters of God p. 289 ```````````````````````````````````````````````
Prayer requests:
---- Please pray for my family. Yesterday morning we let our dogs out to go potty. Oscar never came back. We searched all day for him, finally finding a trail of small drops of blood and then it stopped. We are pretty sure that something got him and we are heartbroken. Normally our dogs are out when we are but yesterday morning we let them out by themselves for 2 minutes. We aren't sure what got him but most likely a coyote or a falcon. Please pray for us because we are feeling very sad and wishing we could have him still be here. Ray
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Dear Friends
One day a few years after I started working at the courthouse, I decided to wear a pair of Esther Marie's sandals that she no longer wanted and I had been wearing around the house. They were in such a convenient spot to slip into and since they were comfortable I decided to wear them to work.
As soon as I arrived at work, however, I became painfully aware of them. As soon as I stepped onto the tile floor, loud clickety-clacks resounded through the foyer. I sounded like a tap-dancer. Esther's sandals are the type with only a wide strap across the top of the foot, but none in back to hold it firm. So there was not only the click, click, click of the heels, but also a slap, slap, slap as my heel and the shoe met with every step. Try as I might, I just could not walk quietly.
Although those sandals make my feet feel very comfortable, I was very uncomfortable in my mind. Throughout the day, everyone could hear me no matter where I went. I got a few comments about their being able to know where I was at all times. Many people turned and looked my direction. It seemed to me that they were suppressing their giggles at my discomfort. Going up and down the stairs to the office where I work, amplified the clickety-clack of those offending shoes. I felt so self conscious. I would rather not be noticed, and everyone was noticing me no matter what I did, no matter where I went. Thus it is in life. How seldom we are aware of our "footsteps"; yet no matter where we go, they "speak" to those around us. Jesus declares, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt 5:14-16 Those with whom we come in contact are waiting to see if our "walk" matches our profession as Christians. "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 2:6;1:6,7 Paul adds, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Col 2:6,7 There is a danger that we will become like the Pharisees were when Jesus walked upon this earth. Jesus warns us, "do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." Matt 23:3 Because their profession did not match their "walk" with Him, Jesus pronounced many woes upon them. "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear ! by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto ! you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." 13-28 May we continually walk in truth upon the path of life never turning to the left or to the right. May we do faithfully whatsoever it is our duty to do. (3 John 3-5 ) May we, though our walk, bring others to our Dear Saviour is my prayer.
Rose |
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