November 5
"Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
- John 15:2, NIV
You and I can trust the Gardener to skillfully, personally, lovingly, and effectively prune the “vines” of our lives. Isaiah described the gentle skillfulness of His touch when he revealed, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isa. 42:3, NIV). In other words, God will not cut you back so much that you are broken beyond the ability to grow, nor will He quench you to the point that you give up and quit. So trust Him. He’s been pruning for years. He knows what He’s doing.
While cutting is drastic and encourages new growth, clipping is used mainly to control and shape the growth of the plant. This encourages fruitfulness by concentrating the energy of the vine into the fruitful areas of the branch. The Gardener clips even a fruitful branch, as Jesus described: “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
