“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:4-5).

Many years ago I served as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Westfield, New York. This was in the very heart of the Concord grape country and the producer of Welch’s grape products. It is a beautiful part of New York State on the shore of Lake Erie. One day I stood in the vineyard of folks named Jim and Olive. With great interest I watched Jim working the vines in the middle of a significant snow storm on a very cold winter’s day.  The previous Sunday he invited me to join him in the vineyard. I made the appointment to come on a particular day that week.

The Lake Erie lake effect snowstorm was really significant that morning. I phoned and Olive assured me that Jim was already in the vineyard. I was welcome to come another day, but he would be working all day in spite of the weather. I was young. I loved the snow (not so much now!) Off I headed to meet him in the middle of the vineyard, in the middle of a howling snowstorm.

He explained to me how important it was to do the work of pruning. He showed me just what needed to be cut away and what would produce the beautiful harvest next harvest. I knew in my heart that he knew what he was doing. But to be honest with you, I thought he was killing that poor thing. The pruning was deep, and I can still hear him say, “The branches will be full of grapes, Lord wiling, next summer because of what I am doing today.”

Six months later the branches were laden with delicious Concord grapes. The vine produced the life as the branches displayed the fruit. What a grand reminder for us today. Our spiritual life comes from Christ. We have the privilege of displaying His fruit. He is the Vine, and we are the branches. There will be times that He will do some pruning in our lives. Those days may not be pleasant and maybe not what we would have chosen for ourselves. However! We can trust Him. He is the vine. We are the branches. We display the fruit that He is growing in our lives.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

How will His fruit be displayed in your life today?