The Vinedresser

By: Lisa Boisvert

Friday, October 18, 2024

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more." John 15:1-2 (NLT)

If you have walked with the Lord for any length of time, you've learned that life isn't always easy. Sometimes we pray and ask God to use us, but we aren't always aware when He answers. Why? Because sometimes God answers our prayers in ways we weren't unexpecting... Even worse, sometimes we rebel at life's circumstances because we do not understand what God is doing.

Maybe we don't understand because the Vinedresser (God) is pruning away some dead wood (unnecessary things) we aren't even aware of. We may not understand what He's doing, but God prunes us so we will bear more fruit for His glory. Pruning, by its very nature, can be painful. God doesn't just cut away our dead branches, He may need to prune and reshape our living branches too. God will prune any part of us that isn't reaching its full potential, and His "pruning" helps us produce abundant, high-quality fruit. Trust the vinedresser! He knows exactly where to prune our living branches and how much needs to be removed. Pruning (even when it's painful) always results in healthier, more productive branches.

All Christ followers should expect to be pruned on a regular basis. What will the Lord be cutting away? Anything in our lives that interferes with our spiritual growth. If it seems painful, remember that God's pruning isn't done to hurt us, our vinedresser lovingly prunes us to improve us! Divine pruning is always done to help us produce a better crop of spiritual fruit. When the pruning is over, we will always be spiritually healthier than we were before.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

God's pruning is a necessary part of our spiritual growth. When we submit ourselves to the Master’s hand, He will precisely cut and reshape us to become our best. Even when it hurts, we will eventually look back with joy and amazement when we see how much we've grown. Is your life in turmoil right now? Are you going through some tough times? If you are, ask the Lord if your struggle is the result of His pruning. If He answers "yes", submit to your vinedresser and remind yourself; "I’m being pruned for Jesus.”

The next time God prunes you, expect to grow spiritually and produce more fruit than ever!