The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Psalm 73

“Every branch that does not bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:2

The Blessings in Trials

Anyone familiar with the culture of grapes knows how necessary it is to prune them. If left to itself, the vine soon becomes laden with rank growth that saps the strength of the vine and reduces its yield. Therefore, skilled vine dressers go through the vineyard periodically and cut away the useless shoots and leave the vine “bleeding” at certain points. But the vine is better off because of the pruning it received.
“My Father is the vine dresser”, says Jesus [John 15:1]. He knows better than we ourselves when the rank shoots of pride, selfishness, covetousness, or any sins are in danger of sapping our spiritual strength. “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives” [Hebrews 12:6]. Through the trials that He permits to come into our lives, God seeks to draw us closer to Himself, that we may bring forth more fruit. God is a gracious vine dresser. No stroke of His knife will be a stroke too deep. And in every temptation, He will make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it. One day, in eternity, we will clearly see how every trial in our life was an instrument in God’s hand to keep us united by faith to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

March 02, 1953