Xanthe Hancox

 “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 prunesso that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  John 15:1-4

If you enjoy gardening, you’ll know about the importance of pruning. When it comes to grape vines, pruning is an absolute necessity. A viticulturist will tell you that only new growth on the vine will produce grapes; and that pruning is essential to production of high-quality grapes.

Just as the viticulturist must prune the vine, our heavenly Father must cleanse us so we will bear quality fruit. He finds a branch that is producing fruit and he begins to cut it back so it will bear more of the likeness of Christ. God cuts away the dead wood, the diseased and rotten portions of our lives.

The Word of God is the knife he uses to prune us. We read more about it in Hebrews 4:12: "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper, than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Pruning isn’t a once-off thing either – it’s ongoing, year after year.

Have you been going through the painful pruning process lately? He works at cutting out everything in our lives that is opposed to Christ–likeness. With precision he cuts out the resentments, bitterness, anger, selfishness, self–centeredness and arrogance, leaving room for love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness and self-control to grow and flourish.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for pruning me. I pray that you would continue to cut away the habits, thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that need to die, so that, through the power of Jesus, I can produce even more fruit for you.