[Membersandfriends] Thursday, September 30, 2004

Wed Sep 29 22:02:03 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Thursday, September 30, 2004

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FRUITFUL PRUNING
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John 15:1-11 (NRSV)

(Jesus said,) "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."

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Jesus said, "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."
-- John 15:1-2 (NIV)
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I live in apple country in upstate New York.  In springtime the fields burst into abundant white blossoms.  It is a beautiful sight.  But have you ever seen a pruned tree?  Whole branches are lopped off, and the remains look like stubs.  However, after a while those stubs will produce new growth and then big, beautiful apples.

In some ways my life resembles an apple tree.  Some branches are too leafy and need pruning, while others need to be cut off entirely.  I get uneasy when I sense God approaching with pruning shears.  But God speaks calmly into my heart, "I'm going to prune only those things that  keep you from producing fruit."

Pruning can hurt, but it is necessary.  Pride, self-reliance, jealousy, and impatience drain energy needed to create fruit.  Consequently, the gardener carefully prunes these away so we can produce more abundant fruit.  Why?  Fruit feeds others; it sustains and nourishes.  We have the confidence that God will make us spiritually fruitful if we submit ourselves to pruning and allow God to live in us.

Prayer:  Creator of all, help us to trust you and allow your hands to do the work of a loving and wise gardener.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
What habit or behavior prevents me from producing fruit?

-- Anita Estes (New York, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Food producers

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RELATED READING ...

More than a "how-to" book, CREATING A LIFE WITH GOD offers an opportunity to learn and adopt different types of prayer practices. Some of these practices include creativity, journaling, solitude and silence, and the Jesus Prayer.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=128390

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.