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

I recently watched Joyce Meyer speak about how God prunes us like vines are pruned for a fuller bloom. Pruning essentially involves removing plant parts to improve the health, landscape effect, or value of the plant. One of her illustrations involved taking a large pair of pruning shears and her suggestion was to hang it on a wall somewhere like you would a picture or a plaque. Then when you notice things are really changing in your life, some things or people are being ‘cut away’ you can look at the shears and be reminded that God is pruning to improve your overall spritual health, landscape effect and value.

Pruning can be painful when it occurs in your life. When you follow God’s lead and find you are being pruned, you are having things or people around you cut away, remember that when a vine is pruned the fruit it produces is fuller and more plentiful.

Is there a pruning shear in your life? Don’t despair and watch for the bountiful crop.