Master Gardener

Remember on Monday when we were discussing the invasive vines? I thought of an old post I had written a couple of years ago that dealt with pruning. Maybe this would be a good day to revisit it.

"I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, (For whom the Lord loves he chastens or corrects) While every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be more fruitful. (Just as a Father the son in whom he delights) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

(For whom the Lord loves He chastens)

One way He speaks today is through HIS WORD THE BIBLE--It helps to keep us clean so that we don't have to be pruned so drastically. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. Remain in me, and I will remain in you." (Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.)

My husband just signed up for a Master Gardener course. I can't wait to see the fruit of his labor. It is quite an intensive program and includes lots of volunteer hours

to spruce up the community. The true Master Gardener sure has his work cut out for Himself on this little branch. Every time I turn around I find little shoots of growth taking off here and there that gobble up the nutrition meant for the important stuff--the fruit. Recently, as I watched my husband pruning a little branchlet on our dogwood tree, I couldn't help but notice that he had to pull it closer to him to get to the ancillary twigs he wanted to lop off. I had really never thought of it like that--God pulls us closer to Himself to prune us. Isn't that just like God?

My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom He delights. Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:5-6" I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John `5:1-4