Jesus said the vine dresser ‘cuts off every branch…that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes [cuts back] the branches that do bear fruit so they…produce even more.’ God cuts some things off. Things we’re comfortable with but that stand in the way of our progress. Things He hasn’t chosen for us. Things that will bring us trouble. Things that refuse to change. Things that have served their purpose. God also cuts some things back. A fruit tree that’s just been pruned doesn’t look its best. And when God starts cutting back certain things in our lives in order to redirect us, for a while we may not look so good either. Sometimes this means letting go of things we thought would always be there, or reprioritising our lives, or making do with less for a while. Having things cut off or cut back in our lives can be really hard to accept and it can feel like we’re having everything stripped away. But it’s in those times that we realise that we only need God. With fewer distractions we can focus on Him. He knows what needs to be cut off in our lives, and He knows what needs to be cut back. And although we may not understand what He’s doing, we can trust that He knows what’s best for us. He wants us to become like Jesus. And when that’s our desire too, we’ll find it easier to accept the pruning process that we’re going through. Then, once the wrong things are removed, we can produce even more fruit. ‘I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last’ (John 15:16 NIV).

What Now?

Research the process of pruning grapevines. Then spend some time thanking God that He takes you through the same process.