09/28/2020
To be a vine in our Father’s garden means that we fall under His watchful eye, and the constant attention of His pruning. Nothing is gained unless something is left behind. No vine branches out and bears more fruit without the careful pruning of the vinedresser. How conceited we are to think that the vine, and its branches, are God’s sole focus, no, it is the fruit, and the beautiful flowers that the gardener desires; Passion fruit, Grapes, and the sweet taste of love.
““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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:1-2 ESV
If you walk through a vineyard in winter you see only the rows of gnarled brown root stock standing there. The lush green branches of summer have been cut off, and the plant looks all but dead, but in truth, it is now ready to burst forth in new growth with the coming warmth of spring. Without such drastic pruning the vine would become unmanageable, sickly, bear little fruit, and eventually become useless, or diseased. This is how Jesus tells us that God looks at us. In the summer He prunes back unproductive branches, and in the winter He cuts us back drastically to await the coming spring. If we don’t know the care given a vineyard then we see only the light pruning of unproductive branches, and the fruit it brings, and we miss the radical pruning of fall, and that we will become brown trunks of winter in what appears to be death... awaiting the hope of spring... awaiting the coming Christ.
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:24-25 ESV
Have you ever lost something, or someone, and asked God “Why!?” - Did you weep in prayer, or consider walking away from your faith? This is hopelessness, and until we address it, or cut it away, then we are spending precious energy on a portion of our life, and faith, that saps the strength from all our healthy branches. Death, failure, and loss, are natural parts of living, but when we have grown to love something this is hard to see. When we lose a loved one it is only natural... it is unwanted, but natural nonetheless.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV
If we lose someone, and we mourn, that is natural too, but if we mourn past the time when the healing should have come, blame God, or turn against Him In hopelessness, then the remaining health in our lives suffers, and our other branches wither, and die. But, if we seek the Lord for help in our loss, rather than to blame Him for it, then He will prune away the hurt and suffering, and we will hope once more, returning to health, and nurturing the remaining fruit we are bearing.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”
Psalm 147:3, 5 ESV
So as vines in our Father’s garden He watches over us, and cuts back the unproductive growth that saps our strength, and heals the wounds left by life. He removes the withering branches, and dresses those that are oozing our life giving sap; the freshly damaged. Jesus assigns Him no blame, and we should praise Him too for the current pain of the shears that brings future growth and vitality to us. We are meant to Flower, and bear fruit, not just appear green and healthy, but with no sweet produce. Are we going through some pruning right now, or are we in need of some? Maybe it’s time to ask the Lord to prune us, or thank Him for His merciful knife that cut to heal, and brought forth fruit in our lives.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the pruning you have done in my life, and thank you for Jesus who tells us that He is our ultimate vine, by whom we are nourished as His branches. Help us to see our lives of faith as vines too Lord, and prune our branches just as Jesus says you prune those that sprout from Him, and produce no fruit. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who uses your knife and shears to keep us healthy, and bearing fruit. Great is your foresight that sees the future, and knows the branches which will bear fruit from those that will go barren. Hear my prayers Father, and cut the withering leaves from me so that no disease can spread, and cause me harm. Feed me with your Word that I might bear fruit in abundance, and give me hope when your knife cuts deep. Merciful are you Holy Father, and by your grace I am returned to health in Jesus. I cry out for your forgiveness, and plead for your wisdom in pruning me. Return the vitality to my Branches of faith Father, and harvest my fruit for your table. Keep me hopeful in the winter of my life, and return me green and flush with fruit upon the coming of Christ.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
John 15:4-8 ESV
Rich Forbes