Friday, September 24: Is God pruning you?

Yesterday, a full moon illuminated the first night of autumn, which only happens once every 20 years or so. The phenomenon is called the Super Harvest Moon, and this year, it occurred just six hours after the fall equinox. An equinox is a time when the sun is directly above Earth’s equator, making the length of day and night identical. Each year has a harvest moon, which is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. Typically, harvest moons seem larger when rising than all of the rest, and as they pass the horizon, the particles in the air give it more color, though all celestial bodies look reddish when low in the sky.


Harvest is a special time of year, though as we get away from agrarian ways, we lose sight of what that meant for our ancestors. It was the culmination of all the year’s labor, and regardless of the amount of that labor put in by man, without God’s hand granting ample sun and rain, the crops would not grow. Jesus gives us a great reminder of the Father’s part in that process, along with His, and the application to each of us as believers.


“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:1-2


In the Old Testament, the Jews were instructed concerning the usage of trees, especially in times of battle or war. Interestingly, fruit-bearing trees were not to be used in any aspect of making war, other than feeding the soldiers from the fruits or nuts growing on their branches. Yet any tree that did not bear fruit could be uprooted and used in the battle, whether for battering ram, spear, fire, or any other need.


19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food. 20 Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.
Deuteronomy 20:19-20


God looks at us in the same manner. This world is a battleground, as Satan and his fallen, heavenly host continue to wage war on the children of God. Constantly, Christians are being attacked, whether by an assault on ethics and morals, or a more direct frontal assault of a personal nature. Yet if we are walking with the Lord, we will be fruit-bearing. That fruit can have an impact by offering food to a world starving for the ways of God. If we are not bearing fruit as believers, God will prune us, giving our branches His strength to grow and produce edible fruit. Unbelievers cannot bear fruit, and will be uprooted and burned in the battles.


Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:11

God’s ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. Hence, many of us complain when the pruning takes place. Does a tree cry out when he loses a branch? If we are walking strongly with the Lord, even when faced with the most difficult challenges, we should remember that it is God who stretches us, God who causes us to grow and God who prunes us! He wants us to have the sweetest fruit, giving strength and sustenance to many others!


22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22


43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:43-45