Cut Cut Prune Prune Slash Slash

When one prunes a grape vine, it requires a real aggressiveness. No playing around, you got to slash off the old growth or you will get a weak harvest.


Notice only three buds. But there were many feet of old vines. And there would have been many many buds, but they would have produced only small grapes.

John 15:2 says in the Amplified:

Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.

Hmmmmm...do I need to ask the Father if there are things He wishes to prune off of my life?

I almost miss it all - Easter Thoughts !

It seems so balant at times. Missing the key ! Missing the door handle! Missing something, but cannot get my head together to know what I am missing. Then suddenly it dawns, there it is. It was there all the time.


......................."I all most Missed It All".........................


When I woke up this morning all was despair
even the washing of my face, I despised,
to me there was a coldness in the air
I wanted to give up.

As I sadly walked toward the tomb
I remembered no more the words He spoke
for all things seemed certain for doom
the only thought was, how can I remove the stone.

Along the path, the birds sang their song of spring,
the trees seemed to reach toward the heavens,
and in the distant I barely noticed a peaceful spring,
then I noticed something, something different.

The lilies had bloomed, the white trumpets of glory
there in the early morning hours, proclaiming a beautiful
message that spoke of something new, something promised
I was moved, and knew something was to happen

As I near the tomb, there was a soft and alluring light
the closer I came, the more I was drawn
by now I had forgotten who was to move the stone
I only knew that I was to behold a great sight.

I was startled to see two men
but yet not afraid, they seemed to belong there.
Speaking gently, yet with authority, they said,
"The man, Jesus, whom you seek, has Risen!".

He promised us He would return
now I realize why the birds were singing
the trees reaching for the heavens.

Yes, this was a new morning
and to think, "I almost missed it all".

Clothed in Humility

Psalm 25:9 (New International Version)
"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way."

It is a real task to be humble when it seems those around you receive or get more than what you believe you deserve. One of the greatest examples in the Bible is that of the prodigal son story. A son who leaves his home and squanders his life in wrong living. A son who stays home and does what seems to be righteous living. The disobient son returns home with sincere humility, yet the righteous son holds his brother in contempt.

What was the problem? The father chose to bless the humble son and the righteous son was angry because he had always done what was right in his eyes and he was not being given his rightful rewards. The older brother was trying to justify his faithfulness by what he had done and deserved.

The younger brother saw himself as one who deserved nothing and humble himself. The father choose to bless the younger and had hopes that the older would join in the celebration. Instead the older brother's true nature came forth.

The Apostle Paul would call this fulfilling the desires of the lower nature ( Gal. 5:13) . The answer to the lack of humility that is brought about through walking in the lower nature of man is this: " I mean this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will not fulfil the desires of your lower nature. The nature sets its desires against the Spirit, while the Spirit fights against it. They are in conflict with one another so that what you will to do you cannot. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Gal. 5:16-18

Paul was talking about the Law, yet it can be easily seen that there is a lower law of nature that seeks to control us, when we do not seek to have humility that draws us to be under the tudoring of the Holy Spirit.

This takes us back to the title of this devotion: Clothed in Humility, along with the Scripture "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." If we as God's children wish to walk in the nature of the Spirit, we must reject that lower nature that demands our rights, regardless of what we have achieved, believe we deserve, or even desire.

Humilty is a challenge, but it is a Scriptural mandate. It is one of the hardest paths to walk on. "God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble" (James 4:6) Another great verse, Galatians is 6:1, speaks to this issue. "We must not be conceited, challenging one another to rivalry, jealous of one another."

As Children of God, we ought to take stock of our attitudes and self motivations the next time we are faced with a situation that our lower nature begins to demand our rights verses the Spiritual nature leading us to a state of humility and submission to God's work to show us the right way.

I Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind...."