John 14-16

John 15:1-4

Jesus talking- "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. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine (Jesus). Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

God prunes. God is the gardener.

My Dad was a gardener and sometimes when he would prune his plants it made them look ugly and really small! But as they would grow, they would actually grow fuller and more beautiful than the wild plants around our house.

How many of you feel ugly and small when God is done pruning you?? I know I do. I think of this when I read these verses. Pruning and cutting are not really pleasant adjectives when it comes to our Christian walk...but it seems like these are some really important principals to grasp when it comes to bearing fruit for His Kingdom. 

"He cuts off every branch that does not bear fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so it will be even more fruitful."

I want to encourage you. If God is doing some cutting in your life, trust that it's in parts where no fruit is being bared. And if He is doing some pruning in your life, trust that it's in parts that He desires you to be MORE fruitful. Sometimes it's confusing which He's doing in which part of our lives but you know, whether it's cutting or pruning, He's making us more like Himself!

I pray that God gives you insight into what He's doing in your life. Take some time today to ask Him where He's cutting and where He's pruning and how you can submit to His actions.