Pruning. I never understood it. If you actually managed to keep a plant alive, why would you cut a large part of it away? And regularly?
Yet we have learned from experience, either doing it ourselves or benefiting from the yields of plants that are regularly pruned. Pruning is not only beneficial; it is essential! Fruit trees yield more fruit, and more delicious fruit, when pruned. Flowering shrubs bloom beautifully after a good prune. Pruning plants allows for healthier, more productive plants.
I have been recently learning this from experience with some lavender plants we care for on our property. When we moved in, we left them alone assuming they just needed water. But finally a couple years ago, in an effort to clean up walkways and make them visible, I decided to try my hand at pruning back some of the branches. I just kept going and gave our lavender a pretty thorough haircut. And then I held my breath hoping I hadn’t killed yet another plant.
Come the following spring, you gardeners probably know what I concluded. My lavender loved it! I have so much lavender growing now! The pruning opened up room for more flowers and growth. And so I continue to prune it more courageously knowing that I am doing the best thing for my plants.
Properly done, pruning does not harm a plant. In fact, only by taking off the old growth can the plant grow and thrive and produce flowers and/or fruit. It is hard to see it exposed and bare for a season but it is worth it when we can enjoy the new growth. Pruning has to happen regularly too. Some seasons the pruning is deeper, other times of the year only a little needs to be done but it always needs to be done.
In John 15, Jesus spoke to His disciples using a gardening analogy. He said, “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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Two things stand out to me personally here. I can bear fruit only attached to the Vine, Jesus. And secondly, while attached to the Vine, and bearing fruit, I should still expect pruning to happen. In order to live a fruitful life where I am producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, I need to recognize it is only through Him. These grow out of my walking in step with the Holy Spirit.
And though it is often uncomfortable and unwanted in the moment, I can trust that God’s pruning of me is for my good and better fruit bearing. He sees and knows me far better than I know myself. David so confidently pleaded with God to test Him and reveal anything unhurtful in him. Do I want to grow more in step with Christ? Do I want Him to shape me more to His image? I do and therefore can joyfully accept His pruning process.
It makes me think of Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” As a loving Father, God purposely grows us. I can trust Him in it and through it.
One more thought….what about the pruning in our children’s lives? I don’t know that I want to go there if I am honest. Being pruned is difficult enough. I don’t want to watch my kids go through it.
It looks like one of my children will be having a difficult surgery in the near future. It is the talk of our household and all of us are processing it differently. I already feel some pruning happening in my own heart. And it both saddens and encourages me to watch how the Lord is using this to work in my child’s heart. Praise God my daughter knows the Lord and has placed her faith in Him because I can tell the Holy Spirit is working in her. He is pruning her and drawing her to a deeper trust in Him. Wow! I wouldn’t want to take that away from her. What a gift to learn to trust her Heavenly Father so deeply at such a young age! But it is hard. It draws me to a deeper dependence on Him as I trust Him to help me parent through the hard and direct our eyes upward.
We have a good Father. The best place to be is attached to the Vine.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Comments
6 responses
You always know you have heard truth and an inspiration from God when inner joy explodes on the inside and a smile, even a grin, appears on your face. Beautiful and meaningful! Thank you Sherri.
Truth from His word sure does bring joy!
Pruning in our lives is really no fun, yet absolutely needed to grow closer to God. Thanks for sharing your insights.
That piece of it being absolutely needed has definitely been sitting with me. Even if I don’t like it, it doesn’t mean I don’t need it.
I can’t wait until you write devotional books! 🩷 beautifully said.
Joining in prayer and lifting up your little one over the surgery and continued connectedness to Jesus.
I am so grateful that He regularly prunes us. I need the regular reminder to turn to Him. How quickly I forget! Thanks for your prayers.