I few months ago I wrote about how I had asked God to strip away everything in my life that did not please Him, or was not useful for His kingdom purposes. I was sincere in my prayer but I had no idea how bad this pruning would be. When I had told my pastor what I asked of the LORD, he relied with raised eyebrows, "You asked what?" He assured me then, that God took my prayer seriously and would do the work He intended to do. I asked him how long it would take - but God was the one that replied with the answer a few days later saying, "When I am finished."
A week or two ago I felt God showing that He was coming to the end of this pruning season (for now). I shared with you about the evergreen tree that had been stripped of its branches [CUT DOWN - Feb 6th] and I felt that was God's way of showing me His pruning process in my life. Well, last week we had a very bad storm one night where the winds kicked up and the rains came down in torrents. The next morning I looked out the window and two of the main trunks on that evergreen tree were lying on the ground. They were huge. I could barely lift them. As I dragged them to the back property I kept saying over an over to the Lord, this can't mean me, can it? These are the main trunks, the very life of the tree. But when I looked back at the evergreen, as full as it had been with those two large branches in the center, I could hardly tell that they were missing. It still stood tall and seemed to sway with the wind in a more gentle fashion. Do I now allow the Holy Spirit's gentle wind to blow into my life a little more often? Will I respond sooner to His leading?
The very day I wrote about coming to A Place of Contentment in my life, God showed me about the complete brokenness of my spirit. We must break down any altar where an idol stands in the place of God.
I looked up the word "broken" in scripture today and realized how many ways and how many things that God must break - in us and around us - in order to do His full and complete work. I challenge you to do the same, but here are a few verses of hope that show a long pruning season is worth all the pain it causes - when the process and the results are left to the LORD of Heaven.
Psalm 51:16-17
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, You will not despise. [emphasis mine]
Daniel 12:6-7
6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." [emphasis mine]
Amos 9:11-12
11 "In that day I will restore
David's fallen tent.
I will repair its broken places,
restore its ruins,
and build it as it used to be,
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that bear My Name,"
declares the LORD, who will do these things. [emphasis mine]
When we are finally broken, we can approach God's throne of Grace and know that our God will rebuild, restore and renew our lives. We then become vessels fit for His use to be filled and poured out as He chooses. And we can stand tall with our confidence solely in Him.
Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
A week or two ago I felt God showing that He was coming to the end of this pruning season (for now). I shared with you about the evergreen tree that had been stripped of its branches [CUT DOWN - Feb 6th] and I felt that was God's way of showing me His pruning process in my life. Well, last week we had a very bad storm one night where the winds kicked up and the rains came down in torrents. The next morning I looked out the window and two of the main trunks on that evergreen tree were lying on the ground. They were huge. I could barely lift them. As I dragged them to the back property I kept saying over an over to the Lord, this can't mean me, can it? These are the main trunks, the very life of the tree. But when I looked back at the evergreen, as full as it had been with those two large branches in the center, I could hardly tell that they were missing. It still stood tall and seemed to sway with the wind in a more gentle fashion. Do I now allow the Holy Spirit's gentle wind to blow into my life a little more often? Will I respond sooner to His leading?
The very day I wrote about coming to A Place of Contentment in my life, God showed me about the complete brokenness of my spirit. We must break down any altar where an idol stands in the place of God.
I looked up the word "broken" in scripture today and realized how many ways and how many things that God must break - in us and around us - in order to do His full and complete work. I challenge you to do the same, but here are a few verses of hope that show a long pruning season is worth all the pain it causes - when the process and the results are left to the LORD of Heaven.
Psalm 51:16-17
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, You will not despise. [emphasis mine]
Daniel 12:6-7
6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." [emphasis mine]
Amos 9:11-12
11 "In that day I will restore
David's fallen tent.
I will repair its broken places,
restore its ruins,
and build it as it used to be,
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that bear My Name,"
declares the LORD, who will do these things. [emphasis mine]
When we are finally broken, we can approach God's throne of Grace and know that our God will rebuild, restore and renew our lives. We then become vessels fit for His use to be filled and poured out as He chooses. And we can stand tall with our confidence solely in Him.
Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
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