The Beautiful Result of Pruning
The idea of being pruned by God — the experience of God cutting away what isn’t good in our hearts to grow closer to Him — might feel uncomfortable. After all, it is hard to give up our feeling of control, even if it is for the sake of greater intimacy.
For this week’s Encounter, Holy Spirit invites us into a conversation about the pruning He’d like to do in our lives. Interestingly, He compares this pruning to the work of a quilter, who knows the beautiful result of the quilt He is making. He knows what fabric remnants to use and what remnants to reject to make the quilt what it is supposed to be.
Sometimes, the pieces of fabric that seem wonderful — the perfect texture and color — are not what the quilt needs. And sometimes, the pieces of fabric with history—tears and mars—can be stitched together so that when the quilt is finished, it is clear the pieces perfectly belong. At first, it isn’t always obvious what the quilt needs to be beautiful. But the quilter sees. And He chooses perfectly. Sometimes, we have to trust Him to get rid of some pieces to make room for others that the quilt, as a whole, needs.
What does God want to remove from your heart so you can engage with Him even more deeply? What beautiful quilt does He want you to see?
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First, find a comfortable and quiet space to relax for a while, ideally, a place where you can be alone and undisturbed for at least half an hour. After settling, do some slow, deep breathing for a few minutes. Perhaps try breathing in a box pattern, as described below:
Inhale through your nose for a count of five.
Hold this breath in for a count of five.
Exhale slowly and gradually through your mouth for a count of five.
Hold again (with all the air released for your lungs) for a count of five.
Next, consecrate your mind and thoughts to God. Hold every thought captive and give Him total control:
Lord, I consecrate to You this time with You. I give you my thoughts and ideas, my intentions and expectations. Come. I need You. I invite You in.
Continue to sit in this peaceful posture with God, surrendering every worry and concern to Him.
Then, read the various translations of John 15:2 below. After you’ve thoughtfully read each one, close your eyes and invite Holy Spirit to give you a picture in your imagination of what He is communicating to you personally with this verse.
“He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more” (John 15:2, MSG).
“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” (John 15:2, NIV).
“He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (John 15:2, NLT).
“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2, ESV).
Pray:
Lord, You are the vine; I am the branches. (John 15:5). Show me what branches You want to cut off in my life so that I will bear even more beautiful fruit.
Listen for His response as you pray. Expect Him to speak — through images in your imagination or words you feel Him say in your heart. If you’d like, take out your journal and write down — or draw — what He communicates to you.
Holy Spirit, I hear You saying….
As you listen for God’s voice in your heart, consider how you know it is Him: For instance, is what you hear supported by Scripture? Also, does it feel like His personality, with attributes of amazing love, justice, and goodness?
Yes? Then let’s keep going, but let’s pivot the conversation a bit:
Ask Holy Spirit what He wants to prune in you for greater intimacy with Him.
Lord, what do you want to prune in me?Ask Him to show you how this pruning will prompt spiritual growth within you.
What good fruit do you want to grow in me through this pruning?
Next, turn to an open page in your journal and draw a large square or rectangle. Within that square, draw many smaller squares or rectangles (or other shapes) in rows, as if this larger outline were the sketch of a large quilt.
We will now contemplate God’s loving closeness to us during this pruning experience. We do not need to fear it. He is love, and He is good. Below is what I heard for us in prayer:
“Let Me make you a quilt filled with color and memory. There are pieces of fabric you don’t want stitched into the quilt, but my stitches are beautiful. What I make from the varied fabrics — some pristine and others sullied — is beautiful. For my hand is kind and skilled, and my stitches are measured and sure.
I take the damaged pieces, and I restore them so they can be rewoven into the quilt, solid and strong. Lay out the quilt in the sun. Let the warmth of the sun warm the fabric. Then place it around your weary body. (Place Me around you. Let yourself be completely covered.)
What remains? For I am covering you.
What harm will come to you? If I am with you, will you not hear Me sing?
For I sing a song of love over you. And I teach you, once covered, how to sing together, the two of us, too.
This world is dangerous, but you need not fear. Yes, there is danger all around, but I am here. Feel Me in you, as I cover you. Let Me cover you completely. And then, all the pieces so beautifully stitched together beneath my quilt, let us sing.”
The quilt you have drawn in your journal is a sketch of the pruned life God created for you. It is your life. And each square of the quilt represents a moment of God’s pruning. Some squares on your quilt represent times of amazing beauty and love. Other squares represent moments of great distress or trial. As you let God prune you, consider the fruit of His pruning.
Talk to God about the beautiful quilt He is making in your life. All the good and all the hard. Beneath the sacred covering of this quilt, what song, with Him, are you invited to sing?
Amen.
