Good the Robber of the Best John 15:1-4 07.11.14

GOOD THE ROBBER OF THE BEST

BREAD

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15:1-4 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Cut out that which seems good to invest in the best.  It is the law of life: Early sacrifice for later bounty.  It can be hard to prune good things that are blooming.  It can be hard to remember why you are pruning.  Because there’s a counter-intuitiveness to it, this plucking off certain life activities that will yield good fruit.  Some might even think it foolish to pare back, when the bloom and gifting apparent; a good harvest inevitable.  Yet it’s the pruning of seemingly good leaves that can grow a better life. To allow later seasons to yield the longed-for abundant crop.  It takes courage to crop a life back — but it’s exactly the way to have the best crop of all.  What seems like hard work that’s taking an eternity today — is exactly what may make the most difference in eternity.”    Ann Voskamp

HEART SAVOR

·       Not all fruitful branches need to remain for God to produce the most abundant fruit in my life.  Though difficult, some “good” needs to go to make room for “better”.  Pruning can ouch!

·       For every “Yes” I agree to there is a sacrifice of “No” to something else.

·       Jesus is the One Who bears fruit in me.  I must listen to His “still small voice” as to what needs to go and what needs to be fanned into flames.  I should never be simply satisfied in my faith walk – I should always be seeking to go “further still”.