In bible study on Wednesday night, one of our associate ministers (who teach agriculture) said something that stuck with me. He said the best time to prune a plant is a month before it springs. And as I was looking into this, research says the best time to prune a plant/tree is when it’s dormant because then it will have an energetic boost of new growth when it’s time to spring forth. Now, dormant means lying asleep or inactive. What does this mean spiritually? Well, some of us have been lying dormant; we’ve been lazy when it comes to the labor, we’ve been asleep on the assignment and sleeping in the spirit and now God is about to prune us. Yea! God is about to trim off the dead things that are attached to us so that a vital improvement of growth can now spring forth within us. God is about to cut away the dead leaves hanging from us so that life can now spring forth. You know the leaves I’m talking about, don’t you? Leaves = liars, exploiters, adversaries, vultures, evildoers and schemers! God is about to prune these no good so and so’s from our midst so that we can now be more productive in our purpose.
How will you know you’re being pruned? It’ll start feeling like all hell is breaking loose around you and you don’t understand why. Folk will start leaving and you can’t explain it. You’ll start losing the feeling to hang out at certain places. You will no longer have the taste for mess. You’ll start feeling better about some folks and some situations. You’ll start loving folk from a distance who mean you no good. But best of all, greater things will begin to spring forth. You’ll be able to see things clearer, doors will start opening, sacrifices you made way back will start paying off, people will start calling your name and you didn’t even think they knew it, your feet will start touching places you’ve never even heard of, you’ll be preaching in places folk said you’d never stand, you’ll start reaping from the harvest you planted years ago and your tears will pay off. Baby, when you allow God to prune you, it’ll be worth it. Because while you’ve been lying dormant, He’s taking this opportunity to now prepare you to burst forward with new ministry ideas, new job prospects, new business plans and greater anointing. This is why Jesus said in John 15:1-2, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” God prunes us so that we may spring forth!
Lakisha, the Author 