“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:5-8)

Get ready for a pruning! In John 15: 5-8, Jesus talks about the pruning process. God will sometimes use transitions in our lives as opportunities to prune us—to take away those things that are getting in the way of our growth and spiritual walk with Him.

The Pruning Process

Just because you are abiding in Christ does not mean that you will escape a pruning. According to the Scripture passage, God, the Vinedresser, prunes away every barren branch, but the fruitful ones He trims clean to increase their yield. Even though you follow Jesus Christ and live according to His Word, you will still be pruned to make you even better!

Ultimately, everything you experience while abiding as a branch is to get you ready to bear more fruit.  While you may whine and complain, “How can I bear fruit when I’m such a mess?” Christ commands you to bear fruit. How do you do it? You can’t. Only God can produce the fruit through you!  And, more importantly, the results will be His, and in any way, He directs.

While we don’t always welcome change, and it may be hard to tolerate, we know that Jesus Christ is with us, for Scripture states: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

May your heart be encouraged by the message of this daily devotional. Hang in there and go willingly through the pruning, and watch how abundant the fruit will be!

Prayer: Dear Lord, although I know that pruning is necessary to yield more fruit, I am fearful of the process. Calm my anxious thoughts and give me the strength and peace I need to go through the transitions according to Your Will.