A few short months ago as spring was starting I wrote Growth in the Kingdom and mentioned different kinds of trees and related them to leaders.

Tonight I took the same walk and it was somber. A storm came through recently and these once glorious trees are decimated.  The largest one has a small fraction of the branches, and where some branches were, there are shards.  The second one is fallen.  Waiting for cleanup.  The third has a long strong awkward arm; the rest is gone. Who knows its fate?

I am reminded of the long drawn out season I am going through.  Pruning season.  Every day when I think there is hope just around the corner, someone or something crashes.  Hard.  Really devastatingly hard.  The Lord is holding nothing back in removing and exposing things that will not bring Him glory. He is showing me more, more, more must be removed and I don’t know when, how or what exactly must be removed or changed.  And yet I have to make choices to forge ahead with no answers.  Some things I have suspected for a long while, but in my spiritual blindness I cannot see what the ask is, where the beginning of the new path is.  I want to move quick, but when I do this, I fall.  

Every morning I wake up with no sense of normalcy.  I am often challenged by another person to be a leader.  Just fix this.  It is difficult to explain there are no resources, or it is not my battle even if there were.  I must follow God, and in His timing.  They don’t comprehend what they are asking will take years or decades to restore, and I am not God.

God CAN and IS working miracles.  I am very blessed to see them!  These keep me strong.  Also, I have many around me who think we are in end times.  I wish I could confirm this.  Do I certainly see some prophetic events happening?  Yes, absolutely.  But I must warn to be prepared for the days ahead.  Even Jesus doesn’t know when the end is.  Only the Holy Father.  We must have endurance for the grueling road ahead or be cut down.  We must know His Word and speak His Word.  Each of us has a finite time, just like the trees.  Here today, gone tomorrow.  We must be watchful for false prophets, false teachers, and wolves in sheep’s clothing.  I  was sitting pretty confident in my spiritual growth a year ago, and God has removed the blinders.  Many, many Christians are falling.  I have repented of more in the last year than in the last several.  God is nowhere near done cleansing the dark parts of my heart.  I urge you to ask God to bring you into a greater pruning season and see what He does. He is Good, He is Righteous, and He is Not Remotely Done!  Cling fast to Him and He will hold you.

Blessings and prayers going out to you!  He is always there no matter how hard the devil whispers.

Bible Verses & Concepts:

Bible Verse: John 15:1-17

Concept: God prunes the branches

Bible Verse: Matthew 24

Concept: Only the Father knows the time; Be prepared 

Prayer:

Holy Father, you are my eyes when I cannot see, my voice when I cannot speak, and my only constant Rock.  You know my deepest, darkest secrets, even the ones I am not aware of.  I ask for your cleansing, refreshing living water.  I want to eat Your manna and Your manna alone.  Separate me out when it is to Your Glory, and give me strength to stand strong in the raging storm – to share Your Word, to love others in Your way, not mine, and to always speak truth.  Amen.