Purging

Last night I talked with a sweet friend about our Lord and what He is doing in each of our lives. We started out describing it as pruning (see yesterday's post)...and then stripping...but finally we decided that purging was the best term.

If you think about it, when you have the stomach flu, the whole nausea and stomach pain leading to the vomiting is horrible. Sometimes it feels like you are actually going to die, and then you vomit and suddenly relief comes. It's like your whole body relaxes and you rest.

Sometimes what God is doing in our lives feels like that. It's painful, and sometimes we may feel as though we would rather die. But the truth is that if we allow the Lord to complete His work in us...the other side is better. We will come out on the other side closer to Him...more resembling Him...and with a faith that is stronger than we have previously known.

And so Lord, we thank You. We thank You for Your leading. We thank You for Your discipline. Your rod and Your staff...they really do comfort us.

Pruning

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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 15:1-2

Going through a pruning process is never easy. I know...I'm in the midst of one. God takes away or calls us to give up things that at the time seem so dear to us. But ultimately, it is for our good. He has a plan, and during the painful portions of that plan, He longs for us to turn to Him.

As the year comes to a close, is God asking you to give up "idols" and return to Him? Is He knocking on the door of your heart desiring to bring you closer to Him?