I’ve been trimming and tying up my young rose plants to keep them as standard roses. They are two years old now, and if left, will become just a tangled head with branches out in all directions. They will not grow any taller if left like that either. I have a couple that are a year older than the ones I am now working on, and I had just left them to do their own thing. How I wish I had started earlier on training them! When the time came last winter to cut them hard back, one decided it had had enough, and just died on me. If we aren’t being constantly trimmed by the Master Gardener, when the time finally comes and we go through some fiery trial, we can’t take it, and give up altogether. It is sad indeed to see a person who once ran well, being used by God, and then some years later to see them become disillusioned and bitter older people!
We too, are like these young rose plants, with each one of us needing to be tied strongly to the stake of Jesus Christ! If we aren’t rooted in Him and tied firmly to Him, we will just blow from side to side and our spiritual life will maybe get damaged beyond repair. Nor will we be able to be a thing of beauty to those who see us
Another thing is, I look ahead to see how I want the finished rose plant to look like. If one shoot looks strong and healthy and is growing out from the main stem in a suitable place, I will tie it upright to the existing main stem, thinking I will let it grow in its new position and then when it is strong enough I will cut off all the other heads when they have finished flowering. Yes, what we are doing now may be useful and being involved in the Lord’s work, but He can see ahead to a better task for us to do, one which will take the main head even higher. It may hurt the plant to have one stem fastened upright in such a fashion, and it may hurt us to be tied in some way that gives us pain and restricts us now, but the end result will enable our character to be a thing of beauty and us be even more help to those around us.
It’s amazing how many lessons there are to be found in the garden, from weeding, to pruning, to spraying….all these things having to be attended to constantly.
No wonder our Lord said, :” I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciple. (John 15:1-8)