Jesus was with His disciples for the last time prior to the cross. They had left the upper room, left the east gate of Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron and were nearing the garden when He saw a vine growing along a stone wall. Gathering His men near Him in the light of the Passover moon He lifted the vine and said, “I am the vine. My Father is the Farmer and He will prune the branches that do not bear grapes.”
My closest neighbor in Uganda grew coffee for his livelihood. One evening when I came home from classes I saw him cutting down his trees. Running to him I asked what was wrong. “Nothing,” he said. “I’m pruning.” “No Bwana,” I said. “You are destroying them.” He just laughed at me and told me to be patient. Months later I watched him put props under his newly grown branches to hold up the heavy load of coffee berries. I never saw such a crop. He knew.
Sometimes God needs to prune us. It might be painful. We might think it is way too much and it is killing us. But if we are patient as time passes we will soon come to realize the fruit in our lives is so rich and so abundant and it never could have happened with the old branches. Jesus was right. His Father is the farmer. He knows just how much to take. It is a matter of our trusting Him. And why should we not? No one ever anywhere has ever loved us as much as He loves us. Be careful how you pray. If you ask He will do it.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 9, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org