Cutting Flowers

Visitors to our evening Bible Studies may have notice a proliferation of flowers: a half-dozen vases full of the most splendid dahlias, which last until the Sunday. We have a couple of sweet pea plants in the chapel garden, and with these I have been cutting and filling another vase, along with some from my own pots. Although the autumn is upon us, these flowers just keep on growing. In fact, the more they are cut, the more they produce. This is particularly the case with the sweet pea and probably the dahlia.

The good Lord prunes His people, too. He cuts off this and clips away that; He snips here and chops away there, and removes such-and-such, too. And the result? Better and bigger spiritual growth. Do not marvel at what the Lord takes away, but rather look forward to what will grow in its place.

Every branch that beareth not fruit in me, he taketh away: and everyone that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2, Geneva Bible