Pruning is part of the process

 

There is a book called Secrets of the Vine, that was written by a man named Bruce Wilkinson.  Long before Jim and I started dating he gave me a copy.

The book starts with Jesus on the night he is betrayed.  Crowds have come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and the city has an electric “buzz” because many have come with hopes of seeing Jesus - this man they’ve heard can heal the lame, restore sight to the blind, feed a multitude with very meager supplies, and who raised Lazarus from the dead.

At this point, His disciples have spent three years learning from Jesus, and they believe Him to be the Messiah, the one who will deliver them from Roman rule. 

However, during the Passover meal Jesus predicts that one of his followers will betray Him.  And instead of the usual Passover blessing, when He breaks the bread and passes the cup, He says it is His body that will be broken and His blood that will be shed.

Throughout the prior three years, Jesus had predicted this night many times, and often said He would have to die.  However, no one understood that He was being literal, and maybe even then they did not….

Following the meal, Jesus led his disciples out toward the Mount of Olives.  As they walked, they passed through the Kidron Valley.  All along the valley, terraced land held rows and rows of grapevines.  Jesus stopped, reached for a grape vine and told His followers, “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.” – John 15:1-2

This past weekend, Jim went to his family farm in Paw Paw, Michigan.  On the farm they grow acres and acres of grapes and each Spring, the vines that were heavily burdened with grapes in the fall, are pruned down to mere sticks. If the vines are not pruned in this way, the warmer Spring weather will cause them to produce a lot of foliage.  And while a lot of greenery may look “healthier” than the stumps that remain after a pruning – the excessive leaves on the unpruned branches would end up blocking the sun, therefore reducing the yield.

When I first read this book, I didn’t know much about God, and I certainly didn’t have a relationship with Him.  Yet on reading it, I knew in my heart that I was going to have to be pruned, and that it may hurt…

I was right.

Turning my life over to God has been at the core of a lot of changes.  Many of the things that were “pruned away” did not feel pleasant at the time.  However, the resulting “me” is one who is on fire for Him.  I am becoming someone who loves a lot deeper and does a lot more good for others as I share, rather than horde.  I go to church regularly and can’t wait for the next sermon.  And while some relationships have fallen away, they have been replaced by new ones, better ones.

If we want God to be able to use us as He sees fit, and for our “fruit” to be bountiful and good, we must remember that pruning is part of the process.