The Vinedresser
“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. So, you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.” John 15
Yahweh’s heart is for every one of us to increase, not just maintain. When you think of gardening whether it be a vegetable garden or a flower garden you know the intentionality it takes for it to increase in what it produces. You can’t put plants in place and never do anything with it again. No, you must water, weed, prune and then you enjoy the fruit. The garden is ever increasing as you tend it. Our lives are no different. We see in John 15; Jesus is giving us the blueprint to a fruitful life with Him. Jesus refers to Himself as the sprouting vine. Sprouting is the natural process where plants produce new leaves and/or buds. There is never a winter season with Jesus.
The Father is the farmer who tends the vine. If you have ever read how farmers actually tend their crops you can see the heart of a farmer. The farmer isn’t walking through his crop of fruit trees thinking if these trees aren’t producing get rid of them. No, he is invested in caring for them. He is very meticulous in the detail of the plant. Where does it need the most attention? This is our heavenly Father. He is the one who tends the vine of your heart. He sees your struggling fruitless branches and comes to help by propping you up. This propping isn’t grabbing a stick to get you off the ground. Oh no, it is pulling you closer to His heart to hold you, to care for you.
But we sometimes don’t know His heart, or we care too much of what others think so we hide. We try to hide our fruitless lives, or we pretend we have fruit so others can’t see the truth of our struggles. Yahweh is not here to discard you because you are struggling. He is here to care for the broken branches in your life. He does this by pruning. When a tree has a broken limb, the farmer prunes the branch by removing it which promotes healing.
This is where you come in. You must invite Him into the weak, broken areas of your life so He can prop it up or cut it back to instigate the healing process. Jesus says, “the words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you.” His words always come with questions. This starts the conversation that leads to restoration. We have a part in this garden. Jesus tells us - “YOU must remain in life-union.” He is not the weak link in our increase. Each one of us has a responsibility to maintain a hot heart for the Lord. What are you doing to increase your passion for Him?
What about fasting so your hunger for Him is increased? What about taking a walk to talk to Him? Getting up early before your day starts to put Him first? Talking to Him throughout the day is a great way to stay connected to His heart. We must connect to Him in an intimate way every day. Our passion for Jesus should be ever increasing. Not just for what He has done for us. That can’t even be measured. Our passion should increase because of who HE is!
He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Magnificent in every way, Most Beautiful, Creator of All things and yet so intimately involved in our lives. He deserves for our hearts and lives to be fully alive for Him. Open the door and invite Him in to be the Vine dresser of your life.
