“God, what am I supposed to do?  God, where are you?  God what is the answer?  What’s going to happen?  What if that happens? What if it doesn’t work out? What if I can’t make it? What if, what if, what if?”

Then I read this from John 15:1-5

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. . . Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Pruning is painful.  It involves God cutting away the dead and unproductive parts of our lives.  It may involve loss and uncertainty.  It may involve more questions than answers.  But Jesus has already given us the answer – remain in him and you will bear much fruit.

There is an oleander in our yard that has exploded with flowers.  The flowers are so abundant that the branches are drooping down – they can’t hold all flowers that have been produced.  I have been admiring the plant for the past several weeks.  It reminds me of what God wants to do in our lives.  If we remain in him, he will produce more fruit than we can hold.  But we can’t do anything to produce it!

It is God and only God who produces fruit in our lives.  Apart from him we are like a branch cut off that withers and dies.  It is so simple but so easy to forget.  How do we answer the what if questions?  Remain in Jesus.  How do we bear spiritual fruit?  Remain in Jesus.  How do we answer the question of our suffering?  God is pruning us so that we will bear more fruit.  The Gardener knows what he is doing.  Trust him!