Pruning and God's Word -part 24

It is interesting that many Christians believe God uses the trials and tribulations that are allowed to come our way in the course of the pruning process.  Being perfectly honest, most of us would agree.  It may surprise you, then, to know that John 15:3 suggests something quite ifferent.  Before Jesus told His disciples about the necessity of abiding.  He said, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."  I am completely convinced that the Word of God, and the Word of God alone is the knife that does the pruning--I am absolute satisfied with this.

We may have trials and tribulations along the way, but these don't really bother us.  The thing that bothers us about trials and tribulations is the solution the Word gives for them.  Do you believe that?  Are you following me?  You see, problems come our way, we search for the solution in the Word of God,and find a clear solution.  Generally that solution is "believe on Me," "abide in Me", " trust Me".  We don't like that solution because it's much easier to get along with outselves if we do something.  But where is our only source of strength?  The Bible and what it reveals about Jesus Christ!  This is the source of strength, but we look for it everywhere else.  We go to Aunt Jenny and Uncle Tom.  We go everywhere, we read everything, we try every possibility, to get this strength, except receiving it from the Vine.  Why?  Because we don't like the Vine's solutio: drink deeper of th blood of Jesus Christ.

The Bible reveals only one thing:  Jesus Chrisst, and Him crucified.  From Genesis to Revelation one story is repeated over and over again in multitudinous ways, and that is the life and vicarious death of Jesus Christ for you and me--that's the only story told in the Bible, and that story forms your life and mine.  But it's not appealing because the branch cannot do anything ecept simply appreciate it, rest in it and trust completely in it--that's all, and it's not very thrilling or glamorous; and it's not something you beat drums over.  You simply rest and believe in it.

Can you do that?  Just simply rest and believe it?  It's not the way we were brought up thinking, was it?  It's all 'I've got to do this and I've got to do that, to be saved, when all the time Jesus has been waiting for us to believe Him that all we can do is abide in the Vine, which is Jesus.  Let's see if we can do that and just simply rest in Him.  Grandma Joan