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What Do We Need to Give Up?
Andrea Lende • November 10, 2020
John 15:2
What Do We Need to Give Up?
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/What-Do-We-Need-to-Give-Up-em9s72
John 15:2
“Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.”
As I read this verse this morning, I pondered over what the Lord is doing right now.
How is He using this time to cleanse and prune?
We can look at the world and ask the same question.
However, I look inward.
What parts of my life, my heart, and my soul are not bearing fruit?
What can I give up as this year comes to a close and we look at beginning a new year?
What part of my heart do I yet need to give the Lord for His cleansing and pruning?
The answers to these questions take time.
Time with the Lord and an open heart.
I need to be open to hear what He tells me as I am sometimes resistance to change.
We are creatures of routines and habits.
And they serve us well.
But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better.
I ask the Lord to show me what He wants me to give up so that He can have more of me.
More of my time.
More of my heart.
Lead me in a better direction.
Making room for kingdom things.
As our world is in both chaos and at a standstill, this is a lovely time to spend time with the Lord and ask Him what He asks us to let go of.
It is the perfect time of year to reflect on our activities and readjust as the Lord leads us in new directions for the New Year that will shortly be upon us.
Today I choose to sit with the Lord and ask Him to lead and guide my steps as He shows me what to give up and where He wants to take me.
May you find the Lord has a plan to readjust your life as we end this year and give up the things that are no longer fruitful.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me You have a plan to readjust my life and prune the things off that are no longer bearing fruit. As the circumstances change once again to turn inward and quarantine further, may You show me what You want me to let go of that no longer serves Your purpose. Help me let go easily, Father, and lead me to the things You have for me. Help me also let go of more of the pieces of my heart so You can mold me and make me into the person You can use. Lead and guide my heart, mind, and steps to the places You have planned for me. Please continue to cleanse and prune all the pieces of me so that more and better fruit may grow. Prepare me in every way to do as You ask, Lord. Help me bless Your people in all I do, Father. Keep me close to You every moment of today and every day. Do not let me wander off on my own way. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours, Lord. Help me bless someone today. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM cleansing and pruning you, My child, so you will bear more excellent fruit in all ways.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.