Divine Artistry in Progress

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

There’s a story told about Michelangelo as he worked on his famous statue of David. When someone asked how he created such a masterpiece out of a single block of marble, he replied,

“It’s simple. I just removed everything that wasn’t David.”

That line captures the heart of what Jesus was describing in John 15:2. God, the Master Artist, sees what we cannot. He sees what He designed us to become, and sometimes that means removing what doesn’t belong. This process isn't to destroy us, rather it is to reveal what He placed within us all along.

Much of the time, pruning doesn’t feel productive. It often feels like loss. It can look like plans that fall apart, relationships that shift, doors that close, or seasons that seem silent. But according to Jesus, pruning isn’t punishment. It’s preparation.

Just as the sculptor’s chisel reveals beauty hidden beneath stone, God’s work in us exposes what He’s shaping beneath the surface. The cuts may sting, but each one is guided by love.

If you’ve ever tried to clean out a cluttered garage or organize a room, you know that progress often begins with subtraction. You have to make a mess before things can look better. Maybe that is a good illustation to what pruning looks like in the spiritual life. Sometimes God clears space so that what matters most has room to breathe again. He removes distractions that drain energy and attitudes that block growth. His goal is never to empty our lives, but to fill them more deeply with His presence.

Interestingly, even psychology supports this truth. Research on post-traumatic growth from the University of North Carolina found that many people report greater gratitude, stronger relationships, and renewed spiritual awareness after seasons of difficulty. Growth, they note, doesn’t happen in spite of pain, but often because of it.

God’s pruning is like that. What feels like loss can be the very tool He uses to uncover maturity, resilience, and deeper faith.

When Jesus said the Father prunes every fruitful branch, He was inviting us to trust the hands that hold the chisel. God’s touch is precise and purposeful. He knows exactly where to strike and when to stop. The marble doesn’t understand the process, but it can trust the artist’s vision.

Faith during pruning sounds like this: "Lord, I don’t understand what You’re cutting away, but I believe You’re revealing what You created me to be."

What comes after pruning is not only new growth, but lasting fruit. Lasting fruit means a stronger faith for the next time you go through a difficult situation.

If joy is the evidence of abiding, then pruning is the evidence of God’s commitment to your transformation. He loves you too much to leave you unfinished. He wants your character to reflect His. Ellen White writes, "The character of Christ is an infinitely perfect character, and He must be lifted up, He must be brought prominently into view, for He is the power, the might, the sanctification and righteousness of all who believe in Him." — Manuscript 27, 1889.

So, if something in your life has been cut away, don’t assume God is absent. Perhaps He’s simply making space for something more beautiful to emerge.

“Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2

Take a few quiet moments to reflect and ask yourself:

• What might God be removing in my life right now, and why?

• Could this season of loss actually be preparing me for deeper fruitfulness?

• How is what I am facing, helping me to develop deeper character?