Cherished Yet Chastised

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

CHERISHED

I’ve always read these words to mean that my Lord would cut me off; that He would reject and cast me out if He found me not “bearing fruit.” And maybe that’s exactly what the Word indicates, but if this be true I should have been rejected and cast out LONG AGO! Oh He is so patient and good.

How I would rather be pruned! That He would use those mighty hands to mold, mend, and create in me.

And so I’m reminded that I am His. I am chosen, holy, blameless, predestined, adopted, forgiven, saved, sealed, redeemed, and His purchased possession. {Eph 1}

Can I be so bold as to add CHERISHED to that list? Am I cherished by Him? And what does that even mean? To hold dear: feel or show affection for; to keep or cultivate with care and affection; to entertain or harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely.

Does He cherish me? Does He hold me dear? Does He cultivate me with care and affection? Does He entertain deep thoughts of me? It seems selfish to even think such a mighty God, such a worthy Lamb would bother with me, the one who should be taken away and cast off.

But maybe it’s not me He’s taking away. Maybe it’s those parts of me that need taken, stripped, cast out; those parts that keep me from bearing the fruit that glorifies Him. And maybe sometimes I have a difficult time deciphering between the taking away and the pruning because maybe sometimes they feel the same. And maybe sometimes they are happening cohesively? He’s taking away over here and He’s pruning over there…. They both entail cutting and pain.

So I will not grow weary in doing good and I will wait patiently as He works through the spring, summer, and then the harvest. Because that first spring bud is exciting and offers hope. But the drought of summer discourages and brings the need for refreshment. Don’t grown weary, cherished one. Don’t lose faith waiting on the harvest.  And don’t get discouraged with the cutting. Because whom He loves He chastens. It is for the furthering of the gospel in and through you.

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Lisa-Jo offers the challenge week after week: take a measly five minutes and write. No over thinking, no backtracking, no ‘wait, that’s not spiritual enough, and I can’t share that in cyber city’ mentality. Only writing. Writing for five minutes and risking the outcome. This week’s prompt- CHERISHED (Confession- I took more than 5 minutes and I over-thought, backtracked, and second guessed. I even used my thesaurus)

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