I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

- John 15:1–8, NKJV

So, with purpose and intention, the vinedresser walks through the vineyard as an artist — the focus is the vine and the fruit.

God doesn’t create vines for all show and no tell; His purpose is for every vine to bear lavish fruit!

When the vinedresser goes through his vineyard with his pruning knife, he has a distinct purpose — to cut away everything that steals nourishment from the vine and fruit.

Every vine needs pruning because every vine is created to produce fruit. With pruning, we will produce more fruit. Less of me means more of God. The pruning process at the hand of the vinedresser is proof that God has more for us.

Pruning is proof that good must be removed for the better.

Therefore, we understand that pruning is necessary for the vine and the Christian.

Jesus said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2, NKJV)

Pruning is the process that transforms us from fruit to more fruit, too much fruit.

God sees our life as a branch that bears fruit. Like the vine, our heavenly Father has a purpose for our lives.

And like the vine, we are to produce fruit that remains.

TODAY: I pray that we will submit to the shears of the vinedresser and bear fruit that remains for the Kingdom of God.  

Blessings,
Thomas