A new gardener, I admired my lush tomato plants. Their green foliage and bright yellow blossoms promised delicious tomatoes. 

One evening, a local vegetable grower stopped and looked at my garden.

‘These are suckers,’ he said, pointing to stray stems on my tomatoes. ‘Cut them off. 

They’re a haven for diseases and pests, and they take energy away from producing tomatoes.’ I got out my clippers and pruned. Then I groaned in disgust as my efforts revealed caterpillars! 

They had been hiding in the dense leaves, munching away and destroying my plants.

Jesus warned his disciples about the need for pruning to help a plant bear more fruit: ‘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).

The Master Gardener wants me to prune what is unproductive in my life so I can pour my energy into bearing fruit. If I trim away bad habits and cut out activities that diminish my service, I can reduce opportunities for sin to creep into my life unnoticed. 

That way I can be a fruitful servant in God’s kingdom.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for planting your word in our hearts. Help us to grow in Christ and to bear fruit in your kingdom. Amen