Connection with GodSample

DAILY SCRIPTURE

“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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” (John 15:1-3)

THE PROCESS OF PRUNING

God wants us to bear fruit. Just as a gardener prunes a vine’s branches to maximise the amount of fruit the branch produces, so God prunes his children so that more fruit will be produced in their lives.

It is important for us to realise that being pruned is actually a good thing! Receiving God’s correction and instruction is a sign that there is already fruit present in our lives. Notice our passage today says that it is the branches bearing fruit that are pruned!

In Hebrews 12:4-11 we are given a beautiful insight into God’s heart and his intentions for the pruning process. God prunes as a perfect and loving Father for our good, so that there will be a harvest of righteousness and peace (see Hebrews 12:10-11).

The Message puts it this way,

We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. (Hebrews 12:4-11.)

So, if the process of being pruned by God is a good thing, how are we pruned? By Jesus’ words. Listening and being obedient to Jesus will mature us in our relationship with God, ensuring we produce good fruit because of our connection and devotion to him.

THOUGHTS FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

• Why do you think God wants us to produce good fruit?
• Is there anything in your life you feel God is pruning at the moment?
• What are some of the advantages of working through the pruning process with God?