We need to give God a fair shake. He needs our full attention. We do not make decisions about His love and provision in the middle of the hurricane. And we do not react when we are amid those cyclones by diminishing or limiting our perception of Him.

The Bible also convinces us that He has full authority over Heaven, Earth, and the depths. We see the beauty of God’s creation that declares His holy existence. Breathtaking cloud formations and sunsets, the sweet fragrances of roses and honeysuckle, and the grace of an agile hummingbird or galloping cheetah showcase a mighty God who is powerful, artistic, and creative. We marvel at the splendor of nature He fashions for our enjoyment and that reveals the reality of His presence.

But maybe you just need a little more convincing. Maybe your faith needs a little straightening after a few failures or sorrows have twisted your belief. Maybe you fear change. Or maybe the enemy has you firmly grasped in a headlock, and you need to silence those perverse voices in your head.

Gardeners know that luscious vines of grapes are only produced when they are first cut down to the stalk. Such pruning of vines takes time — sometimes a few years — but the ultimate product will be healthy, abundant, and delicious fruit.

God’s Pruning Blesses

Don’t forget to remember how God’s pruning blesses you for your own good. As the Master Gardener, He snips, trims, and clips areas of your life that are destructive, hurtful, and unpleasant to you and to others. After all, God knows everything about you. Psalm 139:1-3 reminds us of this: “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.”

You can’t surprise God. Yet God doesn’t want you to be stuck, scared, and unable to live a fruitful and joyful life. So He must cut off parts of your life that are preventing you from loving and living well. On your own, even with your best intentions, you can make huge messes of your relationships, decisions, and actions. God knows the only way to get you back on track is to cut out the dead and rotted debris from your life.

You are being pruned daily. So am I. In marriages, God peels away those things that aggravate each other. He wants children to exchange bad habits for good ones. He wants you to make better choices, rid yourself of destructive behavior, and feed yourself with healthier things.

As in the process of gardening, God’s pruning sometimes looks destructive in all He cuts away. However, He knows the final product will be a richness of life and a greater harvest of fruit. What hurts deeply at the time will yield greater abundance.

Excerpted from Restored by Cindy Brinker Simmons. Copyright ©2023 by Cindy Brinker Simmons. Published by Redemption Press. Used by permission.