October 29

The Pruning-Knife

He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. — John 15:2 BSB

Christ taught many lessons about the sin and doom of uselessness. One of His parables was about a tree that bore no fruit. The soil was good, and the tree had been carefully planted and tended, yet when the master came at the proper season expecting fruit, he found none. Fruitlessness is condemned. The tree that had nothing but leaves withered away. In the kingdom of God, there is no place for uselessness.

We should note that it is the fruitful branch that is pruned. The husbandman does not prune the unfruitful branch; it would do no good. It is the true Christian who is sometimes made to suffer under the discipline of God. The wicked are left alone, but there is no spiritual fruit in their abundance.

Another thing to notice is that the purpose of the Father’s pruning is to make the branch more fruitful. Though the pruning may seem harsh, the vine dresser knows that what He is doing will ultimately make the vine flourish and produce sweeter fruit. God’s goal in all His pruning is to increase our fruitfulness.

Now the pruning, sharp, unsparing,
Scattered blossom, bleeding shoot;
Afterward the plenteous bearing
Of the Master’s pleasant fruit.

If we remember this when we find ourselves suffering under God’s discipline, it will help us bear the pain with patience and cooperate with Him in His work of blessing. Earthly prosperity can sometimes be like the overgrowth that the vine dresser must cut away to save the vine’s life.