Daily Devotion

Cutting off the Dead Part 

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."  John 15:2 

Have you ever noticed if you prune the dead leaves off of a plant how much it grows and blossoms?  Or for you ladies, if you cut your hair (for maintenance) how it seems to grow much faster?  Even in diabetic patients that have to have an appendage amputated, how they seem to do much better physically after the part that has died is gone?  I know that ever since I have been on a "search and destroy" mission for my split ends how much faster my hair grows. 

Death, or in this case, negativity infects everything it touches. It starts at one point and then it spreads. Like cancer if untreated, it spreads to the next most vulnerable spot.  Split ends in hair can eventually cause baldness if ignored. So imagine what happens if you are spiritually dead and ignore your need for God. If you are not nourishing your heart and soul, if you do not know Jesus and love Him, do you really want to know what the consequences are?  Do you really want to know what kinds of social, physical, financial, moral, and spiritual ills you leave yourself to become a victim to? You cannot be physically well without being spiritually well too. We were made to be fruitful—to blossom and produce good fruit—in particular here the good fruits of the spirit. (Genesis 1:28)  We are also to allow our seeds to be shared with others (the Word of God), thus planting good fruit in them and continuing the cycle. 

Jesus says above that the dead parts—the parts that don't produce fruit are cut off, taken away.  And even those that produce fruit are pruned—perfected—in order to bear more fruit.  But in the very next verse Jesus says that by receiving His message, we have been pruned.  "You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you."  John 15:2   But it does not end there:  we must stay alive—stay spiritually well by continuing to seek Him and abide in Him.  So stay alive, keep allowing God to prune you, and grow you for His divine purpose. 

"Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce 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. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a pruned branch and dries up. People gather such branches, throw them into a fire, and they are burned up. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask for anything you want, and you will receive it. This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and so prove to be my disciples."  John 15:4-8