Is God Your Gardner?

We all know at least one person who has a "green thumb." This is the individual who plants a seed and, in a few short months, has tomatoes as big as grapefruits. I am not one of those people. You might say I have a "brown thumb." In a matter of days I can turn the most luscious green plant into a brown, dried up a twig. On the other hand, it seems God is one of those "green thumb" kind of individuals. In John chapter fifteen, Jesus illustrates God’s dealings with his children using the analogy of a vinedresser tending his vines.

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 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. . . By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:1-2,8 NKJV). Merrill Tenney gives his observation about the work of a vinedresser and the pruning process in his commentary on John. "In pruning a vine, two principles are generally observed: first, all dead wood must be ruthlessly removed; and second, the live wood must be cut back drastically. Dead wood harbors insects and disease and may cause the vine to rot, to say nothing of being unproductive and unsightly. Live wood must be trimmed back in order to prevent such heavy growth that the life of the vine goes into the wood rather than into fruit. The vineyards in the early spring look like a collection of barren, bleeding stumps; but in the fall they are filled with luxuriant purple grapes." Contrary to what some affirm, it is evident that God will cut away Christians who are not fruitful. Being fruitful is not merely engaging in evangelism, but also in bearing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (cf. Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9). Not only does God "take away" the non fruit-bearing branches but He also prunes those who do bear fruit. From Tenney’s description, pruning seems initially hurtful to the plant. It is the same way when God "prunes" his children. The trials and tribulations of this "thorn and thistle" world (Genesis 3:18), the chastening of God (Hebrews 12:3-11), and the testing of our faith (James 1:2-4) are all initially painful for the Christian, but the pruning makes our faith stronger and a stronger faith produces more and better fruit which enables us to glorify God.

A lot of people have "green thumbs." They can grow bountiful crops of tomatoes, peppers, and beautiful flowers, however, God’s crops are souls. He nurtures, feeds, and prunes individuals in this life to "grow" them for the life to come.