Day 38

“[The Father] removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

John 15:2

Pruning helps trees bear healthy fruit. It does not make them look more beautiful, but it does make them more fruitful.

Unnecessary branches must be pruned, cut off, so that the tree can produce all the fruit it can.

In his striking image of the vine and the branches, Jesus speaks of how our lives need to be pruned by God. Those parts of our lives that lead us to resist Jesus’ way of love have to be stripped away. This pruning is done directly by the vinedresser, the Father, cutting the branches.

This pruning usually occurs when we experience hardship and humiliation. Through difficult times, we are challenged to recognize God’s pruning hand. Only then will we be accepting of God’s cleansing work in our lives instead of resisting it.

Daily Practice

Ask God to reveal to you how selfishness and self-centeredness gets expressed in your relationships. Pray for God to gently prune you of your resistance to love.