Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

Trusting The Gardener's Pruning

I’ll never forget the day our new lawn company came to “treat and trim” our yard after we had moved into our home. What I didn’t realize was that it was pruning season. By the time they finished, they’d cut the rose bushes back so much that they looked like nothing but sticks. I wondered if they’d survive.
But to my surprise, not only did the bushes come back, but they grew fuller, stronger, and more beautiful than before. Though it seemed harsh, I learned that pruning allowed the bushes to grow healthier and bear more blooms.
God, our Loving Gardener, does the same with us. He removes the parts of our lives that hinder growth, cutting away what holds us back from producing Spiritual Fruit. God’s Pruning might look like losing a relationship, sickness, the loss of a loved one, a difficult marriage, a traumatic experience, stepping back for a season, or letting go of old habits or tightly held plans. These hardships are not sent at random but by a Wise Gardener who knows exactly what each one of us needs in order to become a Fruitful Branch.
Our lives and the Fruit we bear are meant to glorify Him and bless others. That’s why our Heavenly Father will not leave us the way we are. Being disciplined or pruned may hurt us, but it will never harm us. God is always after our good, and we can trust Him with every “treat and trim” He makes in our lives.
 

Jesus is the True Vine

I’ll be honest. I’m not much of a gardener. I wish I were! But I can tell the difference right away between a garden that’s lovingly tended and one that’s been left to itself. Without a gardener, plants either wither and die or grow wild and unruly. In both cases, they fail to thrive and fulfill the purpose they were planted for. However, when a gardener steps in, the garden is transformed. With the right mix of love, care, and wise cultivation, the garden becomes a place of life and purpose, offering nourishment and beauty.
The same is true for us. God, our Ultimate Gardener, is the One who tends to our lives with love and care. In Genesis, we see this beautifully displayed as He places Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden—a place overflowing with life, beauty, and abundance. Before sin entered the world, we were given a glimpse of a life of perfect abiding. It was a life where all they needed, every joy and source of strength, came from their relationship with God.
Just as with plants, where we draw our nourishment matters. Who or what we’re connected to will either bring us life or drain it away. Jesus tells us He is the True Vine, with God as the Gardener of our lives. God lovingly tends to us, shaping us for Fruitfulness. He prunes, waters, and provides all we need for Spiritual Growth, but we must stay connected to the Vine, Jesus.
As we abide in Him, we find everything we need for a Fruitful life that brings Glory to God.
 

No Approval Needed

When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable
Day One: No Approval NeededKey Verse: Proverbs 29:25
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, our adult son had to abruptly return to America from Australia where he’d been living on a work visa. He rented a room from us for a few months until he could make his next move in life.
We soon noticed mail addressed to him stuffing our mailbox. As a member of Generation Z, he became a potential client for nearly every credit card company in existence, many showcasing a zero percent introductory interest rate with no annual fee. Stamped on the envelopes of these offers in large, eye-catching letters was this phrase: NO APPROVAL NEEDED. Now, if only we Christ-followers would understand this concept in our interactions with others!
Constantly seeking the approval of humans leads to people-pleasing. A few years ago, I realized that I didn’t just like to please people, I was also afraid of them. Maybe not afraid that they were going to do something to hurt me, but afraid of what they might think of me. Or scared of what they’d say about me. Or fearful of disappointing them. And so, I fell into the people-pleasing trap—big time!
Proverbs 29:25 declares “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” (NIV)You might know the meaning of the word snare in English. It means “a trap,” much like one set to catch an animal. But the word as it is used carries a connotation that goes far beyond critter catching.
In the original Hebrew, the word translated in English as snare is the word moqesh. Moqesh doesn’t merely mean a trap for prey, it also carries the concept of bait or a lure. It indicates an animal, object, or person that is enticing, causing another to stop what they’re doing and insert themselves into a hazardous situation because of the “prize” set before them. Before they know it, they’re trapped!
Have you ever been enticed to say something you didn’t really mean to gain someone’s approval? You know, give your coworker an untrue compliment or rave about your neighbor’s new ginormous garden statue, that you don’t care for but that he is obsessed with?
Are you tempted to say yes to requests when you’d much rather say no just to avoid the uncomfortableness of turning the asker down? Is there a relationship in your life where your heartstrings are constantly tugged? And perhaps, worst of all, is there, someone, with whom you have a dysfunctional relationship, and you dread making them sad or upset, so you constantly take the bait and give in, just to garner their approval?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you, my friend, have been caught in a moqesh.
So, what are we to do to free ourselves from this snare? We wriggle free when we realize we do not constantly need the approval of others. We have already secured the greatest approval of all—that of being a child of the Most High God. It is he who can grant us the courage to resist being caught.
Second Timothy 1:7 reads, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB). Let’s tap into this spirit of bravery—harnessing its power to truly love people by being honest with them, and disciplining our minds to remember that we already have God’s approval, so we don’t need to seek it from others.
Will you dare to begin making choices based on what God wants you to do rather than based on if someone else approves? We can learn to trust our lives to God, giving responses that line up with His Word, carried out with confidence, not timidity.
Respond
How does the image of a snare accurately apply to situations where you are tempted to please someone or gain their attention or approval?
When, in the future, you are tempted to make choices to gain someone’s approval, what will you remind yourself of from Proverbs 29:25 about the fear of humans?
Prayer
Father, please keep me from falling into the people-pleasing trap by constantly seeking the approval of others. Remind me how much I am already loved and cherished by You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Final Outcome

Victory and the Final Outcome
While Jesus was on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished.” The outcome of His sacrifice not only paid the penalty for the sins of the world, but additionally ended the regime ruled by Satan.
When Jesus rose from the dead, darkness was defeated and life prevailed. After His resurrection, Jesus said to his disciples, “All power and authority is given to Me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). The Worthy One regained the earth from the prince darkness. Then Jesus sent His followers into the world as ambassadors of heaven to proclaim and reveal His Lordship. Our triumph is rooted in the finished work of the cross.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. – Ephesians 3:7-12 ESV
What is your testimony? Jesus is your testimony—the One who has destroyed the works of the devil and has brought you out of darkness into His marvelous light! By the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven, cleansed, sanctified, justified, redeemed out of darkness, have peace, and access to the throne of God.And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. – Revelation 12:11 ESVSometimes in the middle of the fight, it can be hard to see why you’re fighting. I encourage you to stay in the battle and stand firm in the armor of God. When you remind yourself of the amazing work God has done in your life and share your testimony as a witness of God’s faithfulness, the Holy Spirit will empower you to overcome even on the darkest days.
How do you testify? You testify by being a witness to what you have seen God do in your life. Has He healed you? Testify. Has He saved you? Share the Good News with others. Has He delivered you? Find someone has not experienced freedom and declare the mighty power of Jesus to that person. We can do none of this in our own power and efforts, so we clothe ourselves in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Magnificent heavenly Father, I want Your fame and glory to be spread throughout all the earth. I agree that only one name should be lifted above every other—the name of Jesus.
Thank You, Jesus, for taking my sin upon Yourself so I could be made righteous. Thank You for becoming a curse so I could receive the abundance of my Father’s blessings. Because of the shed blood at Calvary, I am a recipient of Your great grace. Jesus, when You declared from the cross, “It is finished,” Your work was complete. I take my place in Your army with the blood of the Lamb, the word of my testimony, and I lay my life down for You daily so that You can live through me. Amen and amen.

Power In The Blood

From The Triumph by James Goll on YouVersion
Blood. What is your first reaction when you read that word? Do you get squeamish? Leviticus 17:11 declares there is life in the blood.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. – Leviticus 17:11 ESV
In Christ’s blood, we receive life that death cannot conquer. From Genesis through Revelation, blood takes a central place in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, the blood of animals foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, with the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. This sacrifice was a covering of sin but did not blot out the sin. There was no access into the presence of God without the shedding of sacrificial blood. In Hebrews 9:6–14 (AMP) we see the accomplished work of Christ. I love the phrase, “When Christ appeared.” Yes, when Jesus appeared, He offered His blood, which was without blemish, as an eternal sacrifice for our sins.Jesus’ sacrifice was a complete work: one time, for all time and all people. On the cross He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The work of atonement was now perfectly accomplished through the blood of this one Man, the perfect Lamb of God, Christ Jesus the Lord!The blood of Jesus is not a good luck charm. The blood of Jesus is powerful—especially when you now learn to apply the blood of the Lamb to your mind, heart, life, family, and in every sphere of responsibility that God has delegated to you. Darkness stops and life begins when you testify what the blood of Jesus has accomplished. Let’s look closely at seven benefits of the Blood of Jesus, along with Scripture references to confirm each truth:Forgiveness – Hebrews 9:22Cleansing – 1 John 1:7Redemption – Ephesians 1:7Justification – Romans 5:9Sanctification (set apart) – Hebrews 10:10 AMPPeace – Colossians 1:20Access – Hebrews 10:19 AMP, Ephesians 2:13-14Of the seven benefits of the shed blood of Jesus, which do you feel you know well, and which do you want to access more completely? There is no triumph apart from the blood of Jesus. I pray the Spirit of revelation will rest upon you. Where there has been knowledge, there will be an increase of knowledge, and may God bring you into a place of greater intimacy with Him through studying how Christ’s blood still speaks.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. – Revelation 12:11 ESVThe blood of Jesus leads us to victory in every spiritual battle we face. In Christ’s blood, we receive life that death cannot conquer. How does reflecting on Jesus’ shed His blood affect how you approach Him through prayer? Take a few moments right now to thank Jesus for His shed blood and all that it accomplished.