January 19, 2007

Today I’ll pick up the piles of branches left from pruning this week. Most of my grape vines are lying there on the ground. They didn’t die and I didn’t kill them. This is a healthy, annual process for ensuring a healthy fruit crop.

I removed 2/3 to 3/4 from my vines’. I cut some branches for shape and strength. Others came off to avoid overcrowding and for ventilation. Where I wanted fruit I left a couple buds from last year to provide for this year’s harvest.

I’m always impressed with how little I’m left with after proper pruning. And come September I’ll be impressed as usual at the amount of fruit on the vines.

According to this week’s Bible quote, God cares for us in similar ways. We can be assured that His goals are for our strength, health and fruitfulness. In His hands, what I lose can result in my gain.

“He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. . . Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:2,4,5

Rejoicing in hope,
Pastor Steve