The Vineyard

I had the opportunity today to help a friend in his vineyard. I pruned back the new shoots on the vines. I kept thinking about the verse that says: “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."

God has to “prune” us because we are pointed in the wrong direction. And since each vine is individual, it must be pruned to it’s own bend or growth. The suckers have to be cut off because they rob us of good growth. Something that was a good growth last year, may not be the best for this year, it has to be cut out. And the thing I found most interesting was that the more mature the vine, the harder it is to prune. If it’s been growing in the wrong direction for a long time, it’s painful to prune.

I have always looked at that verse from the Branches (me), but today I saw it from the Gardener’s prospective. It was really hard to prune away what seemed to be a perfectly good branch, especially if it was already starting to bear fruit. I had to look at the whole plant and decide which would be the best for the vine. Then I had to tenderly remove the ones that would hinder the growth and production. The goal is to bear much fruit. 

I want to bear much fruit.....prune me Lord, tenderly. 

“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^[a] 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. John 15:1-8 NIV