I was pruning my tomatoes for the second time the other day. After the first pruning I noticed that they just flourished growing abundantly greater than they previously had. I don’t know if any of you have pruned any kind of fruit bearing plant. But the way I was taught, was to cut off any branches that did not contain any fruit or flowers, thus removing any nutrients from the branches that were containing fruit or going to have fruit. After the observation of the growth, the Lord spoke to me about it by showing me that it is also with my marriage, that any thing that does NOT bear fruit in my relationship with my spouse. In the Book of Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”. Things that are contrary to these verses should be pruned (alimented) from our life.
So I began to think (reflect) on our relationship, on what could I do to make my marriage better. Notice I did not say what could my spouse do, rather what could I do. My spouse and I will be celebrating 40 years of marriage on January 26, 2020. I have learned (most of the time the hard way), but never the less I have learned that I cannot change one thing about her, that’s Holy Spirits job. I can only change myself with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Back to pruning tomatoes, I noticed that in the process of cutting off branches that were not bearing fruit; sometimes, I would inadvertently cut a fruit bearing branch. Again the Holy Spirit spoke to me saying, I will never cut off a branch in you that bears fruit or is capable of bearing fruit. He said to me that my Father in heaven is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end . In Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” He (my heavenly Father) knows the end from the beginning, so He (Holy Spirit) showed me that even when I may ask myself, ‘why do you God love me and believe in me so much in spite of my shortcomings’. He answered me saying, it’s because He knows who I am in Him. As it says in the Book of Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
God knows what I (we, my bride and I) are capable of doing through Him who gives us strength. You see all of us are here for a reason, we all have a call on our life, as an individual and as a couple. You may or you may not know it, but if you are in Christ, you to have a calling on your life. 1st Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”
The hand can’t say to the foot I have no use for you, nor can the ear say to the eye I have no use for you we are all members together, we complete one another.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy”. We have an enemy who will stop at nothing to divide, separate, and or destroy our relationship with one another, especially when we are serving the Lord together. One of us can put one thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand. You see when we stand in agree with one another standing on God’s Word ,nothing can stop us.
So my advice for each one of you is to allow God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) to prune you, cooperate with Him. When He say’s do this, then we should do this, when He say’s stop doing that, then we should stop doing that.
Don’t allow division to come between your spouse and yourself. This is an example of what I am talking about, if your spouse tells you that you should stop doing something or stop watching something you have done or watched for years. Now all of a sudden they say the Lord spoke to them and said stop, then you should stop. You may not have the same conviction as they do, however you two are no longer two but you are one. Mark 10:8 “AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.”
It is so important that we learn to be sensitive to what your spouse is hearing, because you two are now one flesh!
This is SO SO important as married couples, we must make ALL our decisions together (like it or not). Of course we must be guided by Holy Spirit in those decisions.
So make this agreement with your spouse:
“Baby from this day forward I chose to involve you in every decision that I make both small and large. Guided by the Holy Spirit of God! I love you, because next to the Lord you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
By Guy Bernard