Accepting Pruning Brings Reward

Friends,
It’s not always a judgement from God when we encounter suffering. For those whose hearts are set to follow and obey the Lord, suffering is God’s tool to make us lean on Him even more so, to look to His face (His Spirit and His Word) for guidance, to come so close to Him that we learn to recognize His voice immediately. God desires that we do these things so that He can use us for anything He chooses and can trust us to obey and carry out His orders as given.

But what happens when we “go and bear fruit –fruit that will last”? (John 15:16) Jesus tells us that this will happen: We will be pruned, purged, trimmed. (15:2b) Does it hurt to go through such an ordeal? Definitely! Sometimes it’s excruciating. Sometimes we think we won’t endure. Sometimes we want to lay down and just wake up in Heaven where there will never be another sorrow, rejection, betrayal, confusion, trial, disaster, death, agony, or pain.

But what does God’s Word tell us to do even so? It tells us to trust. To trust God. Because He is in control. No matter what things look like. And that for His children who trust Him, He will work all things out for good. (Rom. 8:28)

So we continue to say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15) No matter how we feel. No matter if we can barely whisper the words. No matter if we don’t believe them at the moment. For we’ve learned to fall back on faith, not feelings.

And what does our loving Comforter do? Like warm rays of sunshine, His healing strength spreads through us, and we are revived. The troubles recede and one day we come to experience Job 11:16-18: “You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. Life will be brighter than noonday, and… you will… take your rest in safety.”

And when Jesus comes in His glory? Ah, then, we who are found faithful till the end, will receive honor (2 Tim. 2:12) by being “counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you [we] are suffering.” (2 Thes. 1:5) “In this you [we] greatly rejoice” (1 Peter 1:6,7), having determined to stand firm in the faith (5:9) because we know that “after we have suffered a little while, God will Himself restore us and make us even more strong, firm, and steadfast.” (See v. 10)

Then we will hear our Master say in the end, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt. 25:21)

And if those “few things” were only that we faithfully endure the suffering He saw fit to give us on earth, we’ll be glad, for it was through them that He kept trimming us “clean so that we would be even more fruitful” (see John 15:2b) and thus have all the more to present before the Eternal King.

Sincerely,
with love,
Rachel

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