The Purpose Behind the Pruning
A key lesson in becoming disciples is understanding how God shapes us to fulfill His purpose. Scriptures show that God permits, and sometimes initiates, testing to reveal flaws in our character. He is like a Gardener who prunes away sinful habits to nurture new growth and fruitfulness (John 15:2). Not all hardships are directly caused by God; often, natural disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes are blamed on Him, but some are due to natural causes or human choices by nations or cultures. Others are attacks from the enemy, meant to keep us passive and prevent us from threatening this evil worldly system. While we can't explain everything now, let's explore some of these trials that God permits as part of our testing process.
Lessons from the Wilderness (Deuteronomy 8)
1Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors. 2Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:1-3; emphasis added).
Are You in a Spiritual Dry Season?
The first thing we notice in this passage is that God led the Israelites into the wilderness, a place of barrenness and dryness. Have you been experiencing a dry season in your life? Perhaps this meditation is for you. The testing (v. 2) was meant to help the Israelites understand that even though they had been freed from the bondage and slavery of Egypt, the ways of Egypt remained in their hearts. The effects of slavery continued to dominate them. The same is true for the believer in Christ; even though we have been released from Satan’s bondage of sin, our sinful habits can still govern us. The Lord must spiritually awaken us, enabling us to see ourselves as God sees us, truly free from slavery to sin.
Depending on the Word, Not the World
As believers in Christ, we are no longer bound to habitually sin with our lips and actions. To walk in victory in our thought life, we need spiritual nourishment from the Word of God to foster our spiritual growth and vitality. God allows tests to awaken us to our complete dependence on Him, the Gardener of our lives. He permits difficulties to prompt people to consider where they will spend eternity.
The Vine and the Gardener: How Fruit Grows
Jesus is the Vine to whom we are to be spiritually connected; we are the fruit-bearing branches, and the Father is the Gardener (John 15). The only way the people of God can produce the fruit of changed character is by having Christ’s life in us, flowing through us. The Church is not an organization but an organism; believers are organically connected to Jesus, the Vine, and the source of life. If you are a believer in Christ, there will be fruit in your life. No root, no fruit! If, at the deepest level of your being, you are rooted and grounded in love for the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:17), fruit cannot fail to come from your life. Why? Because the life-giving sap of the Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ, flows into your spiritual being, and the eternal Father, the Gardener, is at work in you and through you to produce fruit from your union with Christ.
Cultivating Intimacy Through Trials
As we deepen our intimacy with the Lord and learn to listen and obey His Word, remaining in Christ allows His life to flow through us and produce fruit. Building this intimacy requires intentional effort, much like any relationship. You can't expect to feel close to someone just by knowing facts about them. True intimacy develops through sincerity, transparency, and active listening, enabling others to share their hearts with you as well. Make deliberate efforts to spend quality time with Christ and with others in His Body. Even amid public demands, Jesus prioritized time with His Father. The testing situations in your life and mine are designed by God to drive you to dependence on the spiritual life that flows from the root of the Vine—the Lord Jesus. God is teaching us that “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” How much do you value the truth of the Word of God at work in your life?
Application: How to Use This Meditation
1. Identify Your 'Egypt'
The text mentions that even after leaving Egypt, the "ways of Egypt" remained in the Israelites' hearts.
· Action: Ask yourself, "What old habit or 'slave mentality' (fear, anxiety, or a specific sin) am I still carrying even though I am free in Christ?" Write it down and surrender it in prayer today.
2. The 'Manna' Audit
In the wilderness, God fed the people manna to teach them dependence on His Word.
· Action: When you feel "hungry" (anxious or unfulfilled), do you reach for "bread" (social media, food, distraction) or the "Word" (Scripture)? This week, try replacing 15 minutes of screen time with 15 minutes of reading the Gospels.
3. Practice 'Abiding' Moments
Intimacy isn't about knowing facts; it's about presence.
· Action: Set a timer for 5 minutes of "listening prayer." Don't ask for anything. Simply sit in silence and say, "Lord, I am the branch, You are the Vine. Let Your life flow through me." Keith Thomas
Continue Your Journey…
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The more in-depth study notes of this topic are at the link: The Character of the Disciple
The video teaching of this talk is found at the link below: