Devotion – May 29, 2020 - John 15:1-11 (Prune to Fruit)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 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.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
As we are encouraging one another in Life-Spring to produce fruit of the Spirit (to be Christlike), I am reminded of this passage. While most people are familiar with its teachings on abiding in the Lord, growing in His word, and bearing fruit for His glory, my focus is on an unpopular part – the pruning work of the vine-dresser.
First of all, Jesus specified that He was “the true vine” – What is the mark of a “true vine?”
He continued, “My Father is the gardener.” (vine dresser) – a true vine for sure is not wild, and therefore has a vine-dresser. This is none other than God, His Father.
The work of a vine-dresser is to cut off branches that do not bear any fruit. (Ouch!) And every branch that does bear fruit, He still prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (Ouch, ouch!)
To understand pruning better, let’s look at its definition (general & pruning of vines):
“To prune means to clip, crop, cut back, and weed out. Gardeners prune plants, cutting back dead branches and weak parts so they can thrive and grow better.”
“Grape growers often prune vines with the intent to achieve a balance between fruit production and adequate, but not excessive, shoot growth. … ” (google)
“… annual pruning actually helps the vine grow healthier and more rigorously the next spring. A crucial key to pruning is vine balance, meaning not over pruning or under pruning, which can cause undesirable effects.” (winefrog.com)
Here we can see that the vine-dresser has a plan, purpose when he prunes. And pruning is a precise, time-consuming and costly task.
Lessons from this passage:
- Since God, my Father is the vine-dresser, I can trust that He will do an excellent job.
- Pruning is necessary for fruitfulness. I can expect God will prune me (not “if”) to increase my fruitfulness.
- God does this out of love – He loves me so much that He does not want me to remain where I am, though His love for me never changed. Therefore, I should not look at His pruning negatively. Rather, understand His heart.
- The pruning process signifies ownership. No one cares to prune a plant that does not belong to him. Hence, it shows that I belong, I am part of a love relationship between the Father, Son and me.
- The way to endure the pruning process is to abide in His love. (verses 9-11)
- The ultimate purpose is that I will produce the best fruits in the kingdom for my Father’s glory.
As you seek to produce the fruit of the Spirit, perhaps you have experienced the Lord correcting you in a painful way. But take heart, this is the love of the Father taking you to a higher level, a fruitful level …
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that You are the vine and I am the branch. Help me to abide in you always to bear fruit. Father, thank you for loving and pruning me. As I go through the pruning process, help me to understand your heart and abide in your love. And may your love and joy help me through. At the end of it, may I glorify you with my fruits. In Jesus’ name, amen.