Grapes Anyone? My Favorite Fruit -

I am in the middle of reading a book "Secret of The Vine" by Bruce Wilkinson the best selling author of The Prayer of Jabez. He is an excellent writer and story teller. In his book, Secret of The Vine he talks about Pruning and Discipline and how to know the difference. This morning I read "A Country Awakening". In this chapter he speaks about he and his wife moving to the country and how excited they were to be able to have grapes fresh off the vine. One morning he looked out his window and saw his neighbor cutting down the vines on the fence that they both shared. He went out and asked his neighbor if he liked grapes, the neighbor said yes, I like grapes. Then he asked his neighbor did he like big juicy grapes, he said of course I like big juicy grapes. But we can either grow ourselves a lot of beautiful leaves filling up this whole fence line, or we can have the biggest, juiciest, sweetest grapes you and your family have ever seen." But We just can't have both.

What a profound  statement. We can have grapes or empty vines. It took the pruning away of the vines to harvest beautiful grapes. Have you ever been pruned and thought it was discipline or disciplined and you thought it was pruning? Here is how to know what season you're in.
God is the Vinedresser.....

PRUNING VS DISCIPLINE

Issue                                                        Disciplining                                      Pruning
1. How do you know it's happening        Pain                                                   Pain
2. Why is it happening?                          You're doing something wrong        You're doing something                                                                                                                              right
3. What is your level of fruitfulness?     No fruit                                              Fruit
4. What is the Vinedresser's desire?       Fruit                                                   More Fruit
5. What needs to go?                              Sin                                                     Self
6. How should you feel?                        Guilty, sad                                         Relief, trust
7. what is the right response?                 Repentance (stop sinning)                Release (give God your                                                                                                                              permission)
8. When does it stop?                             When we stop sinning?                    When God is finished

I think I'll put this on my wall, so I'll know when it's discipline and when it's pruning.

Remember to Smile Everyday, Show Up Everyday, and Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be blessed,
Ms. Lisa