God, the Gardener
Scripture Reading — John 15:1-8
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
I don’t know much about plants, but I imagine it might be painful for a vine to go through the pruning process. I also imagine that if I were a plant, I might get frustrated with the gardener for lopping off parts of me without asking for my opinion or permission.
Thinking about it a little more, gardeners don’t prune out of anger or frustration. They prune because they want the plant to grow healthier and stronger so that it can bear good fruit. The gardener sees the overall vision of the plant, while the plant can only “see” what’s right in front of them. With that in mind, Jesus’ words here make good sense.
Pruning is the way God removes parts of us that are overgrown and not producing. It may mean we have to let go of some comforts, and doing that can remove troublesome distractions in our life. Through pruning we are able to see more clearly who we are and what God has in mind for us, even if that means enduring some pain along the way.
Whatever might pain us in the pruning process, it’s the transforming of our heart, mind, and soul that God wants to see, because he wants our fruit to grow—fruit that one day we will be able to share with others for the goodness and glory of our Lord, the master gardener.
Gentle God, thank you for the pruning you are doing in our lives today. We may not like it, but we need to trust you with our future. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Ben McKnight
Ben McKnight was born and raised in the West Michigan area. He has been married to Kayla for 14 years and has been a dad to Leo for almost five years. After graduating from Calvin Theological Seminary in 2017, he served as a pastor in Grant, Michigan, until spring 2021. He then served as a chaplain for a year at a local retirement community, and then with ReFrame Ministries’ advancement team. In spring 2024 he transitioned and began serving as the pastor of a church in Cedar Springs, Michigan.
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