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Scripture
“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.”
John 15:1-2
Reflection
We are expected to be fruitful, to work and produce something good, and to contribute to our family, community, and the world. We are seeds of the tree, and as seeds, we are to grow and produce more seeds and byproducts. This doesn’t mean being a baby-making factory. It means grabbing ahold of one of God’s ideas that He cast like stars in the sky and glorifying Him through the development and manifestation of that idea.
You and I are ideas. God thought of us and made us so. Everything on and within this planet, universe, and beyond are God’s ideas — His fruits. Each fruit has a purpose with a plan.
That means we’re not to be idle, lazy, shiftless, and stagnant. We’re supposed to be active, move, grow, change, try new things, experience the unimaginable, and challenge ourselves. We’re supposed to seize the opportunities that God places before us.
We may stumble and fall, but that doesn’t mean giving up. We’re supposed to get back up, learn from the experience, and keep pressing on. It doesn’t matter if we’re a preteen or 90 years old; as long as we have blood flowing through us and energy zooming through us, we are to be engaged and fruitful.
As we grow, we are pruned so that the stuff that’s weighing us down can be meticulously removed. Many of us resist the pruning phases, holding on to dead weight, and then between blame and shame, we become consumed by our misery. That is not the plan of our Heavenly Father. That’s the slam dunk win for our enemy.
Stop making excuses for mediocrity, low living, and settling for less than the dream God gave you. God gave you the dream to pursue it and make it your reality. You stopped doing it or never started because you failed to make that journey with Him as your Guide.
It seemed overwhelming and like too much to handle because you only saw your role and limitations in the vision. You listened to the enemy tell you what you can’t do, what can’t be done, what’s impossible, what’s too risky, and you believed the enemy over God. You stopped believing that God was and still is waiting for you to take that next step, to get back on that path. If you look close enough, you will see Him. If you step back far enough, you will see even more of Him. If you stretch out your arms and walk boldly onto that path, you will find that He’s right there.
Don’t let dreams die because of your fear, frustration, sense of lack, or shame. Don’t cut yourself off from the vine, and don’t think that you can or are supposed to do this thing called life without the Vine and Gardener (Vinedresser).
Prayer
Father, thank You for today, for the shelter and for the food, both spiritual and edible. Thank You for the vision of the path You set before me. I cannot see long distance, but I can see each step I take. I can dream and hope that my dreams align with Your reality and plans for my life.
Father, I am a growing and developing tree. Shed my old leaves and help my new ones to grow strong and bright. Remove from me what is undesirable to You, so that I may be molded into the perfect image as You see fit.
Let those around me not steal my fruit but rather seek their own, and wait patiently for You to provide. Let me also gain patience for the things I desire. Let me receive what I need and realize that what I want may not always be what I need. I humbly accept whatever portions You allocate for me, while never having low expectations of You, Jesus, or myself. I pray and give thanks to You today and always. Amen.
And with that family, I pray that you are blessed, that you see and embrace your blessings, and that you are a blessing to others. There are no limits to what we can do. God has blessed us with gifts and talents, and at times, He places someone in our lives who possesses complementary gifts and talents. Head towards your next adventure, let God guide and counsel you and keep going. Live your life fully!
Start today!
Love,
Natasha
Copyright 2011-2022. Natasha L. Foreman. Some Rights Reserved. All Prayers and Reflections are Copyright Protected by Natasha L. Foreman. BreakingBreadWithNatasha.com
Music: Climb by Shane Ivers; Quiescent In Time by Shane Ivers – https://www.silvermansound.com
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