June 11

“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 bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:1,2.

We need to think of ourselves as a branch being attended by the Father. We are branches in Christ. The Father is intent upon inspection of the fruit from the branch, and He will remove any branch that does not bear fruit. We are not the judge of our fruit bearing—only the Father can do this. Furthermore, we can not expect to bear fruit without also being pruned. Only the branches that bear fruit are worthy of being pruned. We stiffen at this thought—do I suffer loss when I am pruned? The answer is “no.” There is only room for more fruit bearing when we are pruned.

I also think that churches get pruned. We should not be perplexed by this, for these verses suggest that only a fruit-bearing church would ever be pruned. The dead ones are taken away, but the pruned ones will ultimately bear more fruit.

What does it mean to be pruned? I have learned that the pruning takes place during our trials and tribulations. We tend to rely on our fleshly instincts to solve various problems, and the result is a reduction in fruit bearing. The Father is quick to note this, and He will cause me to see that same fleshly tendency crucified on the cross. It may be grievous to me to suffer this loss, but in the long run I will be a better fruit bearer. I will discover the new creation in Christ that quickens my ability to bear fruit. The fruit is actually the nature of Christ—I am just the branch that holds it for the world to see.

Father, let us go forward this day in celebration of the fruit You are producing. I want to be close to the vine, which is Christ. I can only bear fruit that stems from Your very being. Lift me up, prune me, and I will trust You for whatever needs to be done. Thank You and Amen.

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