John 15:1-2 "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."
Many Christians know, or at least have heard, John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Most people find comfort in that, but we are often puzzled when we encounter hard times.
What is pruning?
Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping (by controlling or directing growth), improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for transplanting, and both harvesting and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. The practice entails targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted tissue from crop and landscape plants. Specialized pruning practices may be applied to certain plants, such as roses, fruit trees, and grapevines.
As with most things in life, we like to focus on the rewards or the "good times," but we must understand the process. We have parts of our spirit that need to be removed, reshaped,limited, and increased.... all of which are benefits of pruning.
Next time you find yourself in a difficult time, maybe instead of blaming God you might want to thank him for the increase this time will bring.
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