God’s Pruning in the life of every Christian believer, is important and essential for our growth and fruitfulness.
Jesus Christ speaking in our text above, says; He is the Vine, the Father is the gardener, and we as His Children, are the Branches on the Vine.
Like the gardener, the Father cuts off every branch of the Vine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit.
What is Prune?
Prune is a verb, an action word. While Pruning is a present participle which simply put, is to;
Trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to encourage growth.
Pruning in horticulture is the removal or reduction of parts of a plant, tree, or vine that are not essential to growth or production.
Why Do We Prune Plants or Branches?
Pruning removes dead and dying branches and stubs, allowing room for new growth. It also deters pest and animal infestation and promotes the plant’s natural shape and healthy growth.
Pruning can remove any portions that have a disease, fungi, and other types of decay, stopping them from spreading to healthier branches.
From the above explanations, we can see that pruning is a must for a plant or branch to be healthy, grow and produce good fruits, free of disease and decay.
It is essential for every branch and plant that bears fruit.
How Does The Father (Gardener) Prune The Branches?
The Father (gardener) prunes us the branches of the vine, not with physical pruning equipment like; the secateurs, loppers, hedge trimmer, pruning saw, clippers, etc.
He prunes the branches through diverse challenges, tests, and trials of faith like; delayed promises, impossible problems, undeserved criticism, unanswered prayers, tragedies that don’t make sense, death of loved ones, illness, disappointments, delays, pains, sorrows, betrayals.
All these build us up and prepare us for the things the Father has for us.
God’s Pruning hurts.
But the pain and hurt of pruning the branches are very significant in developing our characters, helping us grow spiritually, producing good fruits, and thereby keeping us free from disease and decay.
Pruning is not punishment for a Christian; it is a reward.
The reward of bearing fruit, which helps you remain attached to the vine and produce even more.
A branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed or cut off from the vine, nor be fruitful unless it remains in the vine.
In order words, we are part of his body (Vine) the branch cannot detach from the vine. A branch separated from its vine not only will fail to bear fruits on its own, but it will die.
The vine and the branch have the same life.
The role of the vine is to pump life to the branch and the role of the branch is to produce the fruit of the vine.
Beloved, are you bearing fruit for the vine?
To bear fruit for the vine is to live your purpose in life. Your purpose is the reason for your existence on Earth. The God-given assignment which if it’s discovered, gives our life meaning and fulfilment on earth.
The purpose of A Bird is to fly in the sky. If the bird fails to fly, that bird is a failure.
If the Father is to assess you right now, are you the branch that needs to be pruned, or the branch He cuts off because you don’t produce fruit?
Don’t forget that your life source as His child (branch) is dependent on you being attached to Him the vine, and remaining in Him.
God Bless You
See ;
This is a good piece