Pruning Shears

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” —John 15:1–2

Whenever I see a gardener cut away extra growth, everything suddenly appears so bare. For a time, the plants seem less attractive than before. Yet we trust the pruning process, believing it will lead to fuller, more beautiful growth.

Jesus compared pruning with some of the difficulties that come into our lives. He said our heavenly Father prunes every branch that has fruit. If we truly want to bear fruit, we must be willing to accept His chastening hand. But if we resist or resent His work, we’ll end up like dry, shriveled branches.

Do you long for God’s fullness and beauty to be seen in your life—even if it means facing His pruning shears? You can’t produce the fruit of the Spirit on your own. Only when you recognize your insufficiency and fix your gaze on God, the Master Gardener, will His life flow through you to bear lasting fruit.

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Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Seeking Him daily program

Scripture taken from The CSB