When God "Prunes Us" or "Goes Silent" Kathryn Kuhlman

Great is our inheritance in him. Great is that security that we have in him. Knowing that underneath are those everlasting arms. Overshadowed by his love. The waters, the deep waters shall never overflow. And he giveth grace when more grace is needed. He giveth faith, his faith, when faith is needed. Thanks, Heavenly Father, a million thanks. Amen. beautiful portions of the Word of God, to my way of thinking, the most beautiful words spoken, all found in the Old Testament. The third verse of the 31st chapter of Jeremiah. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, have I drawn thee. How many times in the darkness of a midnight hour I've been conscious of that love. How many times in a moment of crisis I've been conscious of that love. How many times have I stood without a star in the sky and have been conscious of that love? How often I have stood before the open grave and have been conscious of that love. I have loved thee with an Everlasting love. And that love is my security today. And I'll stake everything that I have. I'll stake my very life. I stake my soul on that love. For I have confidence in the one who's given that promise. I... I have loved thee with an everlasting love. We talk much of the fruit of the Spirit, but do you realize that all the fruits of the Spirit can be summed up in just one word, love? Pause with me just a moment. Consider the word. Joy is love exalted. Peace is love in repose. Long suffering is love enduring. And gentleness is love in society. Goodness is love in action. And faith is love on the battlefield. Meekness is love at school. Temperance is love in training. So when you speak of the fruit of the Spirit, remember, all the fruits of the Spirit can be summed up in just the one word, love. His love. I know there's someone who's asking this very moment. I can't understand his love toward me. Catherine Kuhlman, I don't see if Jesus really loves me so much. Why he sends so many troubles and the afflictions. Not merely one is asking that question. I think there have been times in each of our lives that we have questioned, we have wondered. And it's just because we're human beings, just human enough to want to go through life without trouble, without problems, without sorrows, without afflictions. And immediately, when these things come into our lives, the first thing that we do, we question God's love. But we forget the word. And the word says, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purges it that it might bring forth more fruit. One day, a woman battled within herself, wondering if God really loved her because of her many afflictions. She wondered whether or not. He had forgotten her. She went for a walk. Alone. In her walk, she passed a vineyard in rich autumn glow. A beautiful sight. A great wealth of leaves on the vines. But no fruit. No fruit on the vine. Just leaves. And in that moment, the heavenly gardener whispered to her and said, Are you wondering at the trials in your life? Are you wondering at the afflictions that have come upon you? The problems that... you're faced with. Remember, child of mine, the gardener ceases to prune, to trim, to harrow, to cultivate, when he expects nothing more from the vine. Do you wish me to cease my pruning? Do you wish me to expect nothing but leaves from your life? Do you wish me to leave you alone? I'll cease my pruning. I'll cease my cultivating. I will cease my harrowing. And expect nothing from you but leaves. She looked up. brushing away the hot tears from her cheeks, and she saw it. Oh, dear God, if only you and I could see, as she saw in that moment. Instead of tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy, and she looked up and said, oh, heavenly gardener, I see it, I see it. How could I have been so blind, lo, these many, many months? Harrow me. Cultivate me. If these trials will make me a finer Christian. If the deep waters will make me a finer child. If through these sorrows and afflictions fruit can be brought from my life. Please, I pray, cultivate my life. Rejoice, beloved, though each desire, each dream, each hope of thine shall fall and fade, remember something. It is the hand of love divine. We talk about faith. We talk about great faith. There may be those who have even boasted of their faith, but never forget. Great faith is to endure great trials. Great faith, my friend, has perfect confidence in the perfect knowledge and the perfect wisdom of a perfect Heavenly Father. I repeat, great faith is to endure great trials. Someone listening to me this very moment who is just human enough to say, Catherine Kuhlman, if only during those... Long hours and days and months of going through great trials and great suffering and affliction. If for just one moment I could see his face. If he would do something very definite. If literally, actually, I could look upon the person of Jesus. If I could literally feel his strong hands clasping mine, some sign, something tangible, I could go through anything. But had you ever considered that the silences of Jesus are as eloquent as his speech disapproval but of his approval. That's right. Please consider a moment. A Christian dreamed that she saw three figures kneeling in prayer. Silently she watched. The master appeared and he bent over over the first figure and with great tenderness he caressed her face and smiled into that face and he spoke words of comfort to her and the one watching said oh he must love her a great deal She must be a very chosen vessel, set apart from all others. Did you see how he smiled and how tenderly he touched her? And then he saw the master go to the second kneeling figure, and he just placed his hand upon her head. That was all. He neither spoke to her, neither did he stoop to smile into her face. He just gently placed his hand upon her head and left. To one watching said, oh, he must love her less. Surely he must not love her as much as he loved the first one. For he neither smiled in her face, neither did he speak to her. Just gently laid his hand upon her head. And then, as she thought, she saw the master himself as he approached the third kneeling figure. He just passed by her. without even looking at her. Not a word did he say. Neither did he touch her. He just slowly passed by. The woman was so amazed. Oh, the master did not speak to her. touched her. Neither did he pause to smile into her face. Surely she must have done something to have breathed him. And then suddenly she became aware of the fact that the master himself was standing by her side. And then he began to speak and he said, child of mine, you don't. understand. The first needed all my weight of tenderness and care to keep her feet in my narrow way. She needs my love. She needs my thought. She needs my help. She's weak in the faith. She's just a babe. She needs all the strength that I can give her. The second has stronger faith and a deeper love for me. You see, I can trust her to trust me. She has confidence in my wisdom. She has confidence in my every direction. And the third, oh, if you could only understand. If somehow you could only understand. The third, to whom I neither spoke, Or pause to lay a hand upon her head. Or to stoop and smile into her face. If you could only understand. That, my child, has faith and love of highest... I'm training her for the highest and the holiest service. Even as the father trusted me, even as the father had faith and confidence in me, as I walk this old earth, so does that precious child of mine have confidence. and faith in me. I can trust her under all circumstances, whether the sun is shining in all of its glory or whether the waters are deep. Regardless of the weight of the cross, regardless of the crisis, The trying hour, the affliction, the testing time. I can trust her to trust me under all circumstances. And that is the life that I am using in a greater measure than... ever before. I am silent in my love because I love beyond the power of words to express or of human hearts to understand. Beloved, wherever showers fall most, There the grass is greenest. And wherever you find great fogs of tears and mists of sorrow, you will always find hearts that are full of the beautiful virtue of the comfort and the love of God. Above all, when thy god hides his face say not that he hath forgotten thee he is but caring a little to make thee love him