The Divine Gardener [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION Many times during the years in which I have been a minister and a counsellor, I have had occasion to sit and talk with those who have been undergoing the painful process of "spiritual pruning". During such periods innumerable questions rise unbidden in the mind: What is God doing to me? Why does it hurt so much? When will it all end? Spiritual pruning is an experience from which many shrink - myself included - but one that is essential if we are to become the people God wants us to be. Christian fruitfulness and productivity do not just happen: they are the result of careful planning and pruning. Our Lord put the truth in these gripping and arresting words: "I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn't produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops" (John 15:1-2, The Living Bible). The questions that people have put to me over the years in relation to this issue of spiritual pruning have clear scriptural answers. Many of these answers are delineated in this book. Someone has said: "He who knows the why of things can always cope with the what." It is my prayer that as you read these pages and learn the "why" of God's intentions, you will be able to give yourself more confidently to the purposes of the Divine Gardener. Always remember, no matter how often the secateurs snip or how painful the pruning, your life is in good hands: it is your Father who is the Gardener. Selwyn Hughes