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Recently, I visited a beautiful estate garden and learned how workers trim their grapevines.

Pruning grapevines requires tiny sharp manicure scissors. A plaque detailed the intricate process. Cutting off the branches that bore no fruit wasn’t enough. The workers went further and delicately pruned each cluster of grapes. When the grapes were still small and green, they measured the ideal spacing between each of the tiny orbs. Then they used the scissors to carefully cut away individual grapes in each cluster so the remaining fruit could grow large and luscious.

The owner of the vineyard was wealthier than most of us could imagine. Such exacting work required extravagant wealth.  

I then noticed how the workers carefully protected each tiny morsel that would eventually be displayed at the master’s feast. There was nothing inherently wrong with the grapes that were cut away, but they were a hindrance to the best.

Our Father in heaven is richer than a wealthy tycoon. He owns all of creation. He loves us passionately and knows every intimate detail of our lives. He knows exactly what we need to fulfill His purposes, and we can trust Him completely. We are safe under His watchful care.

Usually, I think of God’s pruning work in my life as only about cutting away the clearly bad fruit and dead weight. But sometimes, even things like health and security—things that appear good to me—are tenderly trimmed by the Master’s perfect, loving hand.

God wants us to trust Him even when it hurts to let go of what we think is good enough. Allow God to remove the good for what is best, and rejoice that He is lovingly preparing you for the feast to come. 

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

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