Deuteronomy 31:14-32:14; Hosea 1:1-11; Luke 17:1-19
Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2 NKJV
A grapevine, more than most plants, needs a vinedresser. It cannot stand upright like other fruit trees and requires a skillful hand to guide its growth. While cutting and pruning is drastic, it encourages new growth in the plant. The vinedresser clips even a fruitful branch, that it might bear more abundant fruit. God will not cut you back so much that you are broken beyond the ability to grow, nor will He quench you to the point that you give up and quit. You and I can trust the divine Gardener to skillfully, personally, lovingly, and effectively prune the “vines” of our lives. —David A. Dunlap
Abiding in Christ is the wholehearted surrender,
in everything to do His will. —Andrew Murray