Pruning

I praise God for the testing of my faith! What joy I have right now! May God's spirit dwell in me richly. The Lord keeps me humble. I am truly tickled that God has put you in my life. For He disciplines those He loves. He challenges us no more that we can handle. He provides a way out for every temptation. If we are not convicted by our own sin then we are not growing and God has given us over into our sin because we are stubborn and harden our own hearts. The Lord declares that He has great plans for us! Yes! better than we can imagine! I'm excited (I can't find the best word to describe this excitement) for what I see God doing in my life through you. You have forced me back on my knees to evaluate my heart. Lord, may you search me and know my heart and find any hurtful way in me and direct my path. May I be quick to hear and slow to speak. May I be living out your word and not just hearing it.

You are a beautiful child of God and He loves you and has compassion on you. He desires for you to experience His love and grace and for you to have immeasurable joy and peace! As we turn our hearts to the Lord, He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He relents from sending calamity.

I am reminded of John 8:1-12. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5"Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" 6They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" 11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." 12Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

The adulterous woman could be anyone- for none of us are without sin. My flesh wants man's affirmation, but I am reminded that my faith and hope is in God and my conduct is before God in fear, knowing God sacrificed His son for my sins and out of reverence and hopeful expectation of His promises, I know that He is coming quickly without warning and He will render judgement and reward to everyone according to what they have done. No man (I use that term loosely to refer to male and female) no matter age, background, maturity will fulfill our longings and expectations here on earth, but it is in Christ, He alone who is the same yesterday, today, and forever that is our help. He who is the Maker of heaven and earth. May God grant you grace to know Him.