Daily Huddle - Sat Aug 3, 2019 Pruning

Love you all, praying for you!
 
A recent look at my yard has made one thing apparent.  It’s time for some pruning.  Have you ever been in a pruning season in your life – where God is cutting some things back?  I’ve noticed there are three areas typically that need pruned.  Offshoots, Draggers, and Shaping.  Sometimes bushes get offshoots – a couple of stalks that are outgrowing the rest – way ahead of the curve… outrunning their coverage.  It makes the tree or bush look funny… a couple of areas in life that are out of proportion - that take energy from the rest – the whole.  Have you asked God recently if there are any offshoots in your life?  God wants the whole tree of your life to reflect Him and bring Him glory.  It’s by far the best for you as well.  Is there any area in your life – that is getting a little ahead of His pace? - Effort spent on good things – but – out of proportion?  God may have called you to this job or this ministry – but He never told you to spend this much time on these things.  They are starting to take time from other things that are also important.  Life doesn’t have just one component – there are several areas that together led of the LORD makes the tree of your life beautiful.  You can’t spend 24 hours a day with your kids – you also gotta go to work!  You can’t spend 24 hours a day at the gym – those abs look good, but you also have to get to class!  I also noticed in yard observation - that some draggers have become obvious.  Not offshoots, but draggers.  These aren’t areas of life that are out ahead of the curve – out pacing the rest.  These aren’t the good things that grow the whole tree – that are just out of proportion – these are underliers – which are dragging the tree down – adding weight, not freedom.  Low branches that are consuming energy, nutrients and resources that are weighing the tree down, and holding back it’s growth.  Have you asked God recently if there are any draggers in your life that He wants to remove – to lighten the weight?  Once these are cut – the whole tree or bush lifts.  That which was weighing it down is gone.  Are there any areas in your life that you are spending time on that don’t really produce the fruit that God is after?  It could be things, activities or even certain people.  Maybe rather than watching the entire US Open – God really wants you to just catch the 16th through 18th hole.  Maybe all four quarters of the game – is just your desire, not God’s priority for you.  Are there some activities – or even persons who are consuming time and attention in your life – that God never told you to spend that time and attention on?  Ask Him, He’ll tell you.  Funny thing about pruning, it’s not funny.  Sometimes it’s painful.  Actually, often – it can be painful.  But you cannot grow and bear fruit without it.  Don’t do it yourself – pruning is not for you - you get carried away – and self-willed pruning just looks ridiculous – and sometimes can kill the tree.  But if you ask God, and let Him do the pruning.  He has your very best interest at heart, He knows what He’s doing – He’s the master pruner, and He’s the one who can lead you, give you the wisdom, the timing and the courage to make that change.  And He gives you the grace you need to accelerate you in the purpose and direction He has for you – where His blessing is waiting and His joy awaits.  Pruned branches – don’t give you the joy you thought, they always keep you from His best.  Not worth it.  Let it go.  Trust Him. 
 
What in your life needs pruned?  Time, Thoughts, and Money – the same things that make you, you – are the things that need pruned.  God’s Word says there is a time and season for everything under the sun. The right times and proportions to do things, and also the right time to prune – to make adjustments.  Is it your weekdays that need a reset?  Some things you are doing in your work time or school time?  Or is it your leisure or down times that need pruning – some things out of proportion or dragging you down that God wants to remove – to free you, and lighten you – so your joy returns and you look more like Him?  PiVAT before dinner, PiVAT Weekly and PiVAT Monthly are tools God uses to let you know what needs pruning, and help you live life in the right proportion.  Notice we don’t say live your life, but live life in the right proportion.  It’s really… not your life.  Not your time (you’ve been bought with a price), Not your thoughts – servants of the King – take every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ.  It’s how He brings peace, and success.  And it’s also, Not your money.  Everything in the heavens and earth belong to him - cattle on a thousand hills, all the silver and all the gold, and every penny in every bank account.  We’re just stewards of His resources.  And for time, thoughts, and money – presenting your life a living sacrifice means – He makes the call.  When pruning is needed – it comes in those three areas.  And the final area of pruning is shape.  Sometimes trees get all about the leaves – when God is really about the fruit.  It’s not how big you get – but how fruitful you are – that matters to God – and gives satisfaction and significance to you.  Sometimes every area of life becomes a push and a strain – rather than a leading and a following.  When God calls you to rest… do you?  Do you let Him lead you away to spend time alone with Him, like He regularly led his disciples?  Rest is what God did, and what He knows you need.  Man-made rest is not as good as God-led rest.  Praying that you will be so faithful in PiVAT before dinner, and PiVAT Weekly and Monthly so God leads your time in the way that brings Him the greatest glory and you the greatest good.  Praying that PRISM is a never-miss in any day of your life.  Never once have I regretted doing PRISM, or coming back to it.  His Word and His presence will never be misspent effort – Let him lead the timeframes – but His Word never fails to produce, to yield a return on investment.  And finally – praying that you will be faithful every morning in your 4C’s Accounting Tool.  Money is the indicator of the heart – it’s the number one competitor with Christ for the Lordship of your life.  You love God, or you love money – God makes your decisions, or money does.  He said it in His Word.  God’s Word says – Give an Account.  And knowing where His money is – so you can do what He tells you to do with it – is mission-critical to living your live in the way that best pleases him, and brings you freedom and joy!  Praying that you will be faithful each day financially.  It indicates your heart – and God uses money to shape you, it’s the best obedience practice there is – because it’s so specific.  Money is just obedience training to God.  He doesn’t need any – He just uses it to teach you how to hear and obey.  And finally – I’m praying that you will let God prune anything that needs pruned, that you will through PiVAT, PRISM, and 4Cs – have all three of those areas of your life (time, thoughts, and money) surrendered completely to His full control.  He will lead you – He has only good for you – not always easy, but always good – and you can completely trust Him.  His love for you, you could never fully know!  It is never ending!  His plans for you – make yours look so weak…  If you will let Him prune you and lead you – you will see what God can do with your life – your shape will look like Him, and your fruit will be ridiculous!  He loves you.  He’s delighted with you.  Any changes He wants to make… ask Him, let Him, and do it!  He’ll give you grace to continue with His priorities at His pace.  His blessing and His peace will rest on you.  and Every Good Thing that He has planned for you will come to pass!  So worth it. 
 
Love you all,
dad