I’ve never grown grapes, but we have a peach tree in our backyard. In the Spring, when leaves start to appear, we trim off the branches that have died over the winter. The tree is healthier without those dead portions. Then we watch for the blossoms. The little tree is so lovely when blossoms cover the branches! Next we eagerly wait for the little pebbles that will grow into peaches. We learned the hard way that if you want good peaches, you have to pinch off some of those pebbles. This gives the remaining ones room to grow, and given that room, they develop into full-sized fruit we can actually enjoy.

If we aren’t careful, our spiritual growth can be “crowded out” with things that don’t glorify God or do us any good. God, being our loving Father, sometimes has to take away our “dead” parts and then prune the fruit-producing parts to allow for greater growth. This pruning process can be painful, but in the long run, it’s better for our spiritual health. Since our soul is the part of us that lives forever, making sure it is healthy should be a priority. Producing fruit for God’s kingdom should be every believer’s goal. In fact, producing fruit is what sets the believer apart from the nonbeliever! So if you’re experiencing God’s pruning process, know it’s for your good and His glory. When the “peach” is full grown and ripe, you’ll be glad He trimmed away the dead stuff and made room for you to grow in Him.