“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He trims so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2, TLV

Snip, Snip, Snip.  Have you ever seen a vineyard after it has been pruned? When we lived in northern California for five years, we would drive by vineyards after the pruning and those poor things looked like twigs planted in the soil. But, in due season, they were lush with leaves and beautiful fruit. Without the pruning, there the vines would be weak and the fruit tasteless. Eventually the vineyard would no longer bear fruit. What about our Messiah’s analogy? Because I have experienced the vineyard’s cycle, I know that even a productive branch needs to be pruned, along with the nonproductive ones. How does that apply to us? Whether our Heavenly Father cuts off the barren branch or prunes the productive ones, it’s all about the fruit. Real fruit cannot be faked.

I think God cuts off the branches of my own efforts that aren’t producing — my attempts at growing my own fruit — because I have no edible fruit on my own.

When He prunes productive branches, it’s to prune me out of the way. So that I don’t try to take ownership of the miraculous fruit. That way I won’t corrupt the good fruit in the future.

The alternative would be an inedible, ugly tree. And I don’t want that. No one does. Right? Even if it isn’t the most enjoyable thing in the world.

So, cut and prune away, Lord. Snip. Snip. Snip.