Pruned!

Last Sunday was our Harvest Festival, and during the course of the meeting there was a lot of talk about fruit (but of course!). As Christians we are supposed to produce fruit - John 15:8 NIV: "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

It struck me following that meeting that a lot of what has been going on in my life could well be described as 'pruning' - removal of the dead branches and leaves, so that what is left can be more fruitful. I'm increasingly encouraged to take the opportunity to embrace my future and step further into my relationship with God, ever conscious of the fact this will take me further from my own comfort zone. Perhaps I need to let God 'prune' me!

Hosea 6: 1-3

1 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."