HELEN SANDERS
2-24-2026
THE PAIN OF BEING PRUNED

I had planted an avocado seed, and it grew to about three feet and started to become spindly. It was not in the best shape. I didn’t know much about taking care of avocadoes although I had grown dozens of them from the seed.

I was looking at it one day and the Lord told me to cut off all the spindly branches. My first thought was, “Oh, no, the tree will not like being cut back.” The Lord said it again softly, and I was obedient. I cut all the branches off and now there just was one branch, which looked like a barren stick. I watched the tree, and in a week or so, buds started to grow on it. It wasn’t too long and the tree was full of new branches and new leaves. The cutting back brought new life to it. God was showing me something spiritual.

I can relate to that tree. There are times in my life that God has had to prune me. I had “branches” in my life that had no fruit and it was time for me to let God prune them. I did not want to be pruned. The thought of giving up something that I had loved and worked so hard for did not seem pleasant. In my mind I thought, “Oh, just a little longer and it will be okay and have fruit.” But God had a different plan. I had to allow him to do the pruning for my own good. After being pruned, God had something new for me. It would never have happened if I had held on to that which was unproductive and dead. I had to be pruned, just like my little avocado tree, to bring new life.

Are you going through the same process? Do you find it hard to let go of something that you have loved, but its season is over? I guarantee you that it will be painful to let go at first, but watch what God can do new for you.

John 15:2 says, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

The old saying, “Let go, and let God” is a true statement. When we let go of that which is no longer bringing forth fruit and let God prune it, the pruning will bring forth something new and better than what you had before. I can attest to that.