DAILY READINGS: Gen. 32 to 33:17; Psalms 1-3; Matt. 18:15-35
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch
in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that
beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:1-2
Ed Lawrence, a prominent Canadian horticulturist, gave five principles
for pruning plants: anything that is dead, damaged, diseased,
dangerous, or not desirable must be removed. The result is a healthier,
stronger, more beautiful and more fruitful plant. What a comfort
to know that, as the Master Gardener tends to us, He only removes
what He knows is for our good. He is growing us into what He
desires us to be, conformed to the image of His Son. —L. Shatford
I am the Vine; My Father is the Gardener. Each branch that yields good
fruit, He trims and cleans, so that it will still more produce each day.—S.P.