The Master Pruner

Sunday Omori

Every farmer or gardener is happy to see cultivated plants grow healthy and fruitful. Pruning is one of the ways a farmer achieves this. In agriculture, pruning is the removal of branches, buds or roots for plant growth. Its effect is seen in the plant’s size, quantity and quality of fruits, health and even safety. A regular pruning protects plants from injury, pest and damage. In the same vein, the Bible teaches us that every child of God is a branch that is connected to Jesus Christ – the True Vine and God is the Farmer.

“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.” (John 15:2)

God, the Master Pruner, is interested in the fruitfulness of His children. For this reason, He commanded us to be fruitful in every area of our lives (see Genesis 1:28). We cannot be fruitful except God blesses us and helps us. These spiritual, physical or mental blessings come from Jesus Christ – the True Vine (climbing woody-stemmed plant). So, for us climb higher in every area of life, we need to stay connected as branches to the Vine (see John 15:4-5). In John 15:2, we learn that God cuts of every branch in Christ that does not bear fruit. So God is very much interested in our spiritual fruitful because every other area of fruitfulness stems from this.

A believer is fruitful when he or she is a channel of God’s blessings – love, kindness, faith, wisdom, grace, peace, financial and material wealth, talents; to name but a few. Why are some branches connected to the Vine not bearing fruits? The major reason some children of God do not bear fruits is disobedience. For example, Jesus Christ, before His ascension, commanded every child of God to go and preach the gospel to every creature as well as make disciples of all the nations (see Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19 – 20). Many children of God see this great commission as the pastors’ or evangelists’ duty. Disobedience is ungodly, so God frowns at it. Moreover, so many Christians are engrossed in excessive materialism and addicted to social media as well as various ill habits thereby affecting their intimate relationship with Christ.

God’s Pruning Tools

Just as farmer uses secateurs or pruning knives to prune a plant, God uses His Spirit and His Word to prune His children. The Spirit of God in the heart or spirit of man gradually causes a transformation into God’s Kingdom culture. A Spirit-filled believer finds it difficult to engage in whatever offends God because the Holy Spirit helps a believer to live in holiness, to do God’s will and to do whatever pleases Him (see Philippians 2:13). The Word of God powerfully penetrates the spirit, soul and body of a believer to destroy ill or bad habits, remove distractions, heal sicknesses and diseases and shatter lack (see Hebrews 4:12; John 15:3). Sometimes, God allows His children to be tested or to pass through trials in order to eliminate what is inhibiting a binding relationship with Him.

Benefits of Pruned Branches

For plants, the effects of pruning is seen in increased new vegetative growth and improvement in the size, quality and color of fruits. For a child of God, there is spiritual growth, supernatural prosperity and expansion of God’s Kingdom as many lost souls will come to Christ.

It is dangerous not to bear fruits. It is only a tree that bears fruits that people are attracted to. Jesus was forced to curse a fig tree because it lacked fruits (see Matthew 21). God will not cut you off from Jesus Christ or His Kingdom because you refused to bear fruit in Jesus’ name. Amen!

If you are yet to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there is no way you can bear fruits to become a center of attraction. Say this prayer: Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my Lord and Savior; I believe that You came, died for me and rose again to save me. Conform me to Your likeness. I declare that I am born again. Amen! Congratulations! I urge you to continually bear fruits.