I am the true grapevine, and my
Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine
that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so
they will produce even more. You have already been pruned
and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in
me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is
severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:1-4
During my workday, I saw a news update that flashed on my phone. “The Michigan – Ohio State football game has
been cancelled,” it read. Great. Another thing lost to 2020. I laughed writing that because when you think
of the term 2020, that of course is an optometrist term for perfect
vision. How many of us saw this year
coming? Nonetheless, that news flash was
indicative of a year that has been by far the most challenging for me, and I
don’t think I would be out of bounds to say it has been equally challenging for
you as well. Whether it be lost quality
time with family and friends, lost employment, a lost season for a child, or a
lost loved one, we have experienced a level of loss this year that at times
might be overwhelming to reflect upon. Many
of us have lost fellowship at church to maintain social distancing
guidelines. I would fall into this
category minimizing my contact with others as one of the high at-risk
categories to COVID-19. Yet, I still
miss my connections at Sunday services.
It is reasonable to say I may have even lost a bit in my connection with
God. Not in the sense that I am no
longer aware of His presence. Rather,
there have been more days where I really must fight to feel that deep
connection that once was natural. With
so much loss, one might very well give up hope, but I won’t. In fact, today I feel stronger even as I know
another holiday will be far different from any other.
You see through all that I’ve lost, I have found a lot as
well. Through losing greater connection
with friends, I’ve gotten closer to my wife, my youngest daughter, and family
as a whole. I am grateful to my new
small group I found this year that I’ve maintained contact with as they have
also become my family. I don’t say
church family because being honest, they mean more to me than that. And while I have struggled at times to
connect with God, my awareness of His provisions, protection, love, and grace has
grown exponentially. I shared with
someone when asked what I have gained out of this year is that I have found a
greater capacity to love than I ever thought I could. When I said it, I paused not because I
questioned it. It was because I was
amazed by it, and that is so awesome about God.
He uses time, space, and situations to grow us in ways we never would on
our own.
God never loses focus on our spiritual growth even as we may
not at times see Him. In reading today’s
verses, I began to reflect on Jesus’s ability to share His wisdom. Many of us lost so much this year. But as we look at the things we lost, yes,
there are some we mourn over such as a losing a loved one. However, if we look at the bigger picture,
some of the things we lost were part of God’s pruning of branches that might
not help us grow. Thus, what we might
have found is something God intended for us to see. I think of Isaiah 43:19 where it says, “For I
am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I
will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry
wasteland.” Perhaps now is a time for us
to see things we would not have seen had we not gone through this challenging
season. A new friend, greater faith in
God, or a positive habit forming (my making dinner for family?) might be ‘something
new’ God has planned for you at this time. Some of you may have been deceived that you have
lost sight of God. Understand a couple
of things. First, God knows exactly
where you are. He has never failed you,
and knowing that, focus on Him as David did here:
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed
hope and cheer. (Psalm 94:19)
Second, trust there is something to be gained in all that
you have endured thus far. There are too
many verses that underline this, but Paul said it best in Romans:
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop endurance. And
endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our
confident hope of salvation. And this hope will
not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has
given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5
As we get closer to celebrating the birth of Christ, we
realize that is also the sign that the year is over. For all we have endured in the year of
‘perfect vision,’ it could be easy to dwell on what we lost. However, I would challenge you to look for
all that God has shown you this year. Look
for the new things God has shown you, and then, use them to build your faith
toward a stronger relationship with Him. What strength have you gained from God’s
power? How much favor has He given you in
a time of such uncertainty? Where has He
taken your fear of the future and shown you confidence to move forward? My prayer for you today is to take a
different look at what God has placed both on your heart and in your spirit to
see what is lost and found. Amen, and I
leave you with these words of Jesus:
Yes, I am the vine; you are the
branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For
apart from me you can do nothing. John
15:5
No comments:
Post a Comment