How does the Lord show His love through acts of service? Pruning! John 15:2 Amplified says, “Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.”

Pruning is an art. I had fruit trees in my backyard. Every year I hired an arborist to prune. Why? He knew just what branches needed to be removed. I didn’t.

Years ago I pruned a low hanging limb on a tree in my backyard. It took a lot of my energy to maneuver my hand held saw. I left the severed branch on the ground and rested for an hour. When I went back to haul it away I was shocked to see it had withered so quickly.

It has remained an example for me. When I don’t abide in the Vine, my life is cut off from His life-giving sap. John 15:5 Amplified says, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing.”

Isaiah 43:7 says that we are created to glorify Him. John 15:8 says, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples.”

You may have been in a ministry that was bearing fruit. Therefore it was a shock when that branch of your life was severed. That happened to me in 1999. I was going to Costa Rica two times a year with a ministry team. When the Lord cut that off I was beside myself.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says that the Lord’s ways and thoughts are far higher than ours. He prunes through wisdom. Fruit is borne out of abiding not service. John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” We can trust Him with every aspect of our being.