God's pruning....

[skydreamers]

As Ray has pointed out in his papers, the word "punishment" is translated from the Greek word, "kolasis" which means "a pruning". It comes from the verb, "kolazo" which means "to curtail, dock, prune, but usually to 'castigare':   to keep within bounds, check, chastise. (Ethelbert S. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek Testament)

I had another urge to look up pruning on the internet, since sadly I am no gardner and have little idea of what this involves. 

Here's some cool info:  (this one's for you teacher Gena )

Man uses pruning to remove diseased or injured parts of the plant (see tree surgery), to influence vertical or lateral growth for various reasons, and to increase flowering or fruit yield. Top pruning, or topping, induces lateral growth, and in fruit trees not only produces a more easily accessible shape but also diverts the expenditure of nourishment from the formation of useless wood to that of buds and fruit.

http://www.answers.com/topic/pruning

Pruning in landscaping and gardening is the practice of removing diseased, non-productive, or otherwise unwanted portions from a plant. The purpose of pruning is to shape the plant by controlling or directing plant growth, to maintain the health of the plant, or to increase the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. (oh ya, that's what I'm talking about!)  Proper pruning is as much a skill as it is an art, since badly pruned plants can become diseased or grow in undesirable ways. (We know are Father is the most skilled Pruner there is!)

Proponents of pruning, both gardeners and orchardists, often argue that it improves the health of the plant and makes sturdier structure, often referred to as the scaffold.

....

Types of pruning (This is interesting!)

From the least to the most severe forms of pruning:

   1. Pinching: Removing new buds or growth of herbaceous plants in order to control growth. This is the least damaging method for pruning and is the first opportunity to control the plant, encouraging bushiness or height
   
2. Cutting-back: Removing a portion of a growing stem down to a set of desirable buds or side-branching stems. This is commonly performed in well trained plants for a variety of reasons, for example to stimulate growth of flowers, fruit or branches, as a preventative measure to wind and snow damage on long stems and branches, and finally to encourage growth of the stems in a desirable direction.

   
3. Thinning: A more drastic form of pruning which involves removing entire branches. This is usually employed to revitalize a plant by removing over-mature, weak, problematic, and excessive growths. When performed correctly, thinning encourages the formation of new growths that will more readily bear fruit and flowers.

   
4. Heading: Heading is a very severe form of pruning which involves removing all branches and growths (Lake of Fire?)down to a few large branches or to the trunk of the tree. When performed correctly, heading can be used to begin training younger trees for pollarding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruning


Methinks God will have to use many of  these methods of pruning on me by the time he's finished.... just hoping not the last one...that really sounds painful! 

Peace,
Diana

[Bradigans]

John 15:1-2 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Things have been a little better for me lately. I don't feel Him on me like He had been lately. I'm not complaining, but I believe this was the worse season of pruning I've been through. I don't look forward to those seasons, and wish I could say I never have to go through another one. I look at the patience of Job, and quite honestly I don't got it. I know God is going to do, what God is going to do. This last season of pruning I believe i was going through, I didn't think there was going to be anything left when He finished. Maybe i'm crazy, but i thought He was killing me. I had never experienced such despair and emptiness in my life. I don't want to say too much, because i may start feeling sorry for myself.

Anyway, i enjoyed the material on pruning and types of pruning. I suppose everything has purpose, and it's all about sowing and reaping, God being the master sower of course... 

[javajoe]

That's a good post, Diana!  What a perfect analogy as to what God is doing in our lives.  I feel I am being pruned big time! All those diseased branches have to come off, but boy does it hurt!   But, just wait till the fruit comes


Peace to you,
Joe

[skydreamers]

Just came across this verse...

Isaiah 61:3
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
They will be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD,
that He may be glorified.


Peace,
Diana

[gmik]

Oh good scriptures Diana.  Some of my favorites.

The pruning really shows the physical then the spiritual!

There are SO many hurting on this forum. I hope they read this and rejoice.  It is God's doing to perfect us.  This life here is the experience of evil to prepare us to be His family when righteousness will prevail.

Prune On!  (thats easy to say when you are not going thru a pruning at the moment-but we know the ebb and flow of life.....)

[DuluthGA]

Here here!  AND YES!!  PRUNE ON DEAR GOD

WITH YOUR OPERATIVE LOVE!

[LittleBear]

Hi Diana,

I love gardening, and your post verified to me what I do to my plants. I have a perennial garden, and I have to be tough, or else these plants will take over and grow every which way, and in the end there won't be a symphony in my garden. Some plants will try to take over and be king over all the others. I have to dig up, divide, thin out, prune, clip, move and so on, so that the garden will flow and be beautiful. Some plants are highly invasive, taking over so that the smaller, weaker ones die out from lack of sun or nutrients, so I have to keep them in check. The little ones I have to move to the front, give them space and sun, protect them from the big guys and encourage them to flourish. Then there's the weeds, which always try to gain ground, but I have to constantly pick them out, otherwise they will take over and I will have a garden full of things I don't want. I have incredible joy when my garden looks just the way I want, and my plants thrive.

I can see how God labours over us with great joy to conform us into His image.

Love,

Ursula

[skydreamers]

That was a great description of how you tend to your garden Ursula!  It is a beautiful analogy to what God is doing in us.  Awesome!  Thank you for sharing that!

Peace and love,
Diana