[b]John 15:1 “I am the true vine, my Father is the farmer. He lifts up every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more.”[/b] A friend of mine owns a vineyard in the land. The Israeli government has given him some land recently and he plans to use it to grow the liberation wine for offering in the third Temple. He does not call on Yeshua as Messiah, but tries to live HaShem’s Torah as he knows they represent the words of life. Against the advice of those around him, he observes the Sabbatical year in his vineyards. Meaning every seventh year he does not work the vineyards and lets them grow wild. During that year there are always branches that end up growing along the ground that get coved in dirt, weeds and the like. The first year he done this he sought advice on what to do with these wild branches that had produced no fruit during that time of his departure. Many had told him to just break them off and take them away as they would be no good. But he thought to himself, “I’ll lift them up and clean them off, and I’ll give them support.” Turns out these where the best producing branches in all of the vineyards that next year. Every branch in Yeshua that bears no fruit will be lifted up and cared for by the Father. He will never forsake you. The lowliest branches will be brought high. But then you have the branches that do produce fruit already. They are the ones that get pruned. As your life in Yeshua produces the fruit HaShem desires, He prunes you so you will grow more. The more you apply his word to your life, the more sin is removed from your vine. The more fruitful you will be you. [b]Proverbs 3:13-20 "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom (The Living Torah), the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. By wisdom The LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew."[/b] [b]Proverbs 11:30 – “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life….” [/b] Torah is called thee “[i]Tree of Life[/i].” We see it planted in the middle of the garden What is the fruit of a branch in Yeshua? TORAH! [i]"I give you good instruction; do not forsake My Torah. A tree of life it is for those who take hold of it, and blessed are the ones who support it. It's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all it's paths are peace. Long life is in it's right hand, in it's left are riches and honor. The L-rd was pleased for the sake of His righteousness, to render the Torah great and glorious."[/i]

It's so true.. So very true. Sometimes, we think maybe we're being punished, that we're suffering, or whatever else, and the truth can be as simple as that it hurts to lose a part of ourselves, even if that part is sinful. Father knows best, and we just have to trust Him in these times, that what He is doing in our lives, IS for our best interest, just as the bulk of His Torah is NOT given so that He can be some strict disciplinarian, but because He knows much better than we what is good for us and what is not.