The Law in 90 Days: Numbers 31-32
SCRIPTURE READING
John 15:2 (NIV); He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does
bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more beautiful.
John 15 is the famous passage that talks about Jesus as the Vine, and believers as the branches.
Branches, on their own, are dead, so we must be in constant connection to the Vine. John 15:2
need not fill you with fright – fear of the Lord? Yes, but not fright. We don’t need to live in terror,
wondering if God is going to come along with His heavy-duty hedge trimmer and hack us off. This
verse offers remarkable encouragement. God is a not a crazy person brandishing a machete;
He is a Gardener with a green thumb. He prunes the branches that have fruit, even if the fruit is
small. A branch that bears no fruit refers to one who is spiritually dead – hardened of heart and
unrepentant. Are you moving towards Christ and His commands? Good! God is pruning you. He
desires for you to be beautiful. He desires that you would thrive. He desires that His nourishing life
would flow through you so that your life could produce fruit. In Galatians, Paul lists off a number
of the fruits that grow as a result of the Spirit in our lives – patience, faithfulness, gentleness, love,
kindness, joy, self-control, goodness and peace. These fruits are more than just a list of words
that we have heard many times; they actually have affects in the lives of people. It is our calling to
affect people for the Kingdom of God, and this is how we do it!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to show you how He is pruning you. What in your life needs to be cut off? What does
God want to nourish and grow? Thank Him for the work that He is doing. Thank Him that He
is an expert in this field.
2. Ask God to reveal any fruit in your life that you once had, but have now shrivelled. What
happened? What does He want to do now? Is there anything that you need to repent of?
Then do so.
3. Do you know that God is for you? Do you believe and sense that He wants what is best for
you? That He wants to beautify you? That He wants to see you thrive? Thank Him! If you
don’t, ask God to give you an understanding of His character and how He sees you, His
precious child.
