Day 1: Fruit of the Spirit Series 

Pruned for a Purpose

John 15:1-2 "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."

Approximately two years ago, the Lord blessed us with the "deal of a lifetime" in purchasing our new home. Our house is in a beautiful neighborhood and is beautifully landscaped with palm trees, crepe myrtles, knock-out roses, and more! That sounds wonderful, right? It is...however, I have NO landscaping skills.

My parents' idea of landscaping was our oak trees and the occasional potted plant on the porch that our neighbor often watered because he felt bad for us...or it!

So between advice from friends, google, and the local nursery, I have definitely learned a lot (I still have a ways to go)!

Because of my inexperience, there is one thing that I do simply because I have been told to do this, but I have a difficult time performing this task. That is the art of pruning which I recently accomplished!

My rose bushes seemed to be blooming beautifully. It felt wrong to chop them down to a foot tall. However, by doing this, I am told that they will grow triple in size and bloom even better and fuller.

Pruning in our lives is ALSO a very difficult process to understand. Today's verse tell us that God, the Master Gardener, will cut off branches in our lives that do not produce fruit and will prune the branches that do produce so that they will produce even MORE!

Galatians 5:22-23 identifies this "fruit" as the "fruit of the Spirit" which includes "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..."

You see, the pruning process does not always feel good. Webster defines prune as "to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth." As painful as it may feel at the time, God will allow certain things to be "cut off" or "cut back" in our lives so that we are "shaped" into His image and able to offer this life-giving fruit to the world we live in--which is our very purpose!!

I challenge you today to invite the Master Gardener to prune your life. Just as every plant requires unique attention and requires pruning at different times, He knows the season and methods to bring about the greatest result in you!

Dear Lord, Thank You for loving me enough to prune the things in my life that keep me from my fullest purpose in You!

I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.