Draw Close: 21 Days to Know Godनमुना

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2 NIV

I once lived in a house that had Concord grape vines growing along a fence in the backyard. The first year I picked the grapes; and made some jelly, a few jars worth. It seemed that I had a lot of vines but not that many grapes. So, I looked up how to grow grapes and the first thing I learned was that grape vines need to be pruned. And not just a trim. You cut out the dead wood and then you really cut back the branches that were producing grapes. To be honest, I thought I had killed the vines after I did what I was instructed to do. But, sure enough, the next season the vines came back and grew and produced more and bigger grape clusters. There were so many jars of jelly that year! I was amazed! It really worked!

And then I remembered this scripture, now all the more real because of the object lesson of my grape vines.

God prunes us. There are areas in my life that don’t produce good fruit. This word promises me that he loves me enough to prune those areas. Sometimes that happens through the words of a friend I am accountable to, a message on Sunday morning about something he wants to eliminate from my life, and more often, through his Word. And even those areas that are fruitful in my life he prunes because there is always a next step on the path to God. Even when the ouch is still there, the growth begins and in season, the more abundant fruit comes.

Today when you have your time with God, ask Him about what he wants to prune in your life. Ask him to do it. He will because he loves you so much and wants you to bear much fruit in his name.