Spiritual Discouragement and Neglect

Our natural Florida every-afternoon-rainstorm weather had caused my cucumber plants to mold. Over several weeks, I had spent considerable time tilling soil on a patch of earth covering approximately 75 square yards.

I tilled it, weeded it, planted it, hauled nearly 50 large wagons full of compost to it, watered it, and otherwise tended it. All the while, I prayed that the Lord would bless my effort. After all, I reasoned, I was doing important and useful work. I asked Him to send rain and a bountiful harvest.

And rain, it did. So much, in fact, my crops were drowning. The worms, on the other hand, were not. Nor did they respond in any appreciable way to the pesticide we applied.

As discouragement set in, I responded by grumpy neglect. The Lord has shown me again that my best efforts can do nothing to bring the harvest. Only the Lord of the Harvest can do that.

Today He led me, scissors in hand, to my cucumbers. They were a tangled mess of molded vines and soggy leaves. Slowly I began to snip away the dead leaves. This gave way to clipping entire branches. Ultimately, I uprooted entire plants. In the end, all that remained were the few plants which were actually bearing fruit.

I was reminded of my favorite section of scripture, John 15 where our Lord describes Himself as the vine and us as the branches. How like My Father to reveal Himself through a physical picture of a spiritual reality. When we allow the enemy to take a foot hold through discouragement and neglect, we are left with a moldy mess of twisted dead branches that are good for nothing. We do not reap a harvest and eventually bring forth no good thing and must be uprooted.

I noticed as well, the tendrils of the good plants had grabbed hold of the dead plants. When the dead rot was stripped away, the healthy plants suffered some damage. We must be careful to not become entwined in the sin, corruption and dead works of those closest to us. They will ultimately cause us injury.

It was truly a disgusting endeavor. Upon completion, my hands and clothing were covered with nasty grime. It was slimy and putrid and in all ways revolting. How good of our God to be our vine-keeper. How sweet of Him to tend to us in our corruption and slime. How marvelous that He would care to tend us and lift us up out of the muck and mire, clean us up and set us to good healthy growth.

Lord, please protect me from discouragement and neglect of my spiritual life. Please prune me Lord, so I may bear much fruit for the good and glory of Your Kingdom. Help me Lord to remember I have work to do, but only You can grow me and prosper me, only You can bring a harvest. I must do my part, but ultimately You are the vine. I am but a branch