God blesses us with the expectation that the blessings will last for a lifetime and not just for a season. The life of a believer shouldn’t reflect temporary blessings because God’s blessings are everlasting. God wants to be faithful to us, sustain us, and keep blessing us until the end.
Merriam-Webster defines the word “prune” in the opening scripture as “to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth.” After a farmer is done pruning a tree, it looks bare, but the farmer is not worried because they know that soon the tree will become even more
fruitful and beautiful than it was before.
“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.”
– John 15:2 (NIV)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
In the same vein, God cuts out anything that hinders us from living up to our full potentials so that not only would we bear more fruit and flourish but also our fruit will remain.
Further down the passage in John 15 verse 5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Here Christ reminds us that we need to be connected to Him. Anyone that is cut off from Him will wither and fall by the wayside.
Jesus is our sustenance. He is our deliverer, provider, and comforter. As long as Jesus is your source, you will never run dry. He will cause rivers to spring up in the desert for you.
God wants our blessings to remain. This means we have roles to play in ensuring that happens. Here’s how can we keep our blessings as believers:
Stay connected to God: If you don’t stay connected to God, how can He be your source? A tree that has been cut off from its source cannot thrive. Soon it will wither and die. When your source comes from above you will survive the drought. Is the economy struggling? True believers will not panic because, as the popular gospel hymn goes: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me.
Remain in your assignment: We all have a purpose, and it was assigned to us even before our birth (Jeremiah 1:5). Whether you’ve been called to be a prophet or an engineer, a teacher or a singer, God wants you to be faithful to your calling. An engineer trying to do the job of a doctor
will only fail. So know and stay in the place of your assignment and you
will be fruitful and prosperous.
Find the location of your blessing: Abraham was wealthy in Ur, but God told him to pack up and move to Canaan because he had a purpose to fulfil there. Also, Joseph dreamt that he would be the greatest of all his brothers, but his dreams didn’t come to pass until he got to Egypt, albeit
under unfortunate circumstances. Stay in the place of your assignment and you will be richly blessed.
Cultivate the spirit of gratitude: Simply put, having a spirit of gratitude is a sure way to continually receive blessings from God. Remember the story of the ten lepers? Ten were healed by Jesus but only one came back to give thanks. As a result, he received an even greater miracle as Christ made him completely whole. One of the secrets of living an abundant and fulfilling life is to continually give thanks to God.
Conclusion
Beloved, you are God’s best creation and the apple of His eye. He delights in blessing you and it pleases Him to see you prospering. Like a tree planned by the riverside with roots deep in the stream, so are the ones who stay connected to Jehovah and maintain a grateful heart. He will make them fruitful and their fruit will last.
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