Pruning the Branches

 

 

 Recently, my grandson did some work for me on my lawn.  Besides helping with some weeding, he also pruned the rose bush in the picture above. Pruning the rose bush in the fall of the year is actually good for the bush and makes the bush more beautiful.   It also causes it to grow more beautiful roses in the spring of the year. 

Often things in creation teach spiritual truths.  Jesus taught us in John 15 that He is the true Vine, and the Father is the Gardener.  We are the branches  The Father cuts off any branch that bears no fruit.  Every branch that does bear fruit, however, He prunes, so that is will bear more fruit.  

One of the ways that the Father prunes us, the branches, is through times of testing and trials.  Trials forces us to cling more tightly to Jesus, the Vine, which causes us to grow spiritually and enables us to produce true and more beautiful spiritual fruit.  Again, this happens, as we cling to Him, remain in Him, love Him, and seek to obey Him.  Jesus said in John 15:8, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

If my rose bush was never pruned, it would eventually get out of control and lose it's beauty.  God's spiritual pruning in our lives is often not enjoyable, and it is often painful.  God's cutting away of undesirable things in our lives and helping us grow more beautiful spiritual fruit is a wonderful thing, however.

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