Here Is Something You Need To Know About Suffering

John 15:1-2 - I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.  NASU 
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• Some Suffering May Be Good 

Jesus is using the analogy of how a Christ-follower is like a branch of a vine.
 
God, the Father, is the vinedresser. He has the responsibility to help the vine produce the best fruit possible. He does this in two ways. The first is by removing the branch from the vine if it is not producing fruit and that branch will be thrown into the fire later.
 
Secondly, the method of pruning is used to help the branch that is producing fruit to produce even more fruit on the vine.
 
When you prune something you cut if back for the branch to produce even more fruit. Pruning may hurt at first but it will guarantee the branch will produce more and better fruit during the next harvest.
 
The novice vinedresser may find this hard to believe that by pruning back the branches he will be helping to enlarge his crop and produce tastier fruit. When you prune away sucker branches as they are called it allows the sap to feed the good branches.
 
I used this principle on my dad's lemon tree in AZ a few years back. The next season dad's lemons were larger and tastier, but my dad told me he thought I might have initially killed his tree.
 
Where there is pruning there is a certain amount of temporary pain and suffering. 

• Trust In The Vinedresser 

When the Heavenly Father takes certain things in our life away from us we may not be happy at first, but when we trust God, the Vinedresser, things will work out best for us.
 
God knows what we need and don't need in our life. He knows better than we do what is best for us. I am sure as parents we have at one time or another believed we knew what was best for our children. It isn't any different with God except He is right every time.  

• What Should Be Pruned From Your Life? 

Jesus informs us that as fruit-bearing branches we are going to go through a pruning season when He said this: "…every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."
 
You will notice it is the branch that is bearing fruit that goes through the pruning process.

So let me ask you, "What should be pruned from your life?"
 
Think About This:
 
Adversity is never pleasant, but sometimes it is the only way we will learn.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
Go To  www.SeragosPumpUps.com