Vineyard Days – Outside the Canopy

“The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”
Song of Songs 2:13 NIV

Is there any among us who likes the pruning process? My educated guess is, No. Nada. Nuh-uh.

But there is as much, if not more care given to the pruning in the development of a fruitful vine, for contained within the process is a deep-seated truth our heart needs to hear –

The Vinedresser’s hand that holds the pruning shears responds to the Vinedresser’s selective eye.

The vinedresser does not approach the pruning process with anything less than careful consideration.

• First, he studies the vine, taking the time to carefully look it over. He does not begin in haste.
• He then picks out several well-placed canes that look like good prospects for next year’s yield. Remember that old canes that produced fruit this season will not produce again. Grapes bear fruit only on the green shoots that arise from one-year-old vines. Every season he gauges the potential.
• He proceeds with cutting out the old wood and canes that are unsuitable – those that are small and weak, or too far out from the main trunk. As the vintner encourages, “this will clear up some of the confusion as you go.” The obvious and the unsuitable. They lend no life in remaining.
• He always leaves at least one alternative cane until the last, in case he breaks one. Sweet mercy.
• Then he begins the bending, ever so gradually, before he ties it into place. Even the stubborn ones are not too much for him, for he knows that canes that grow in a direction other than where he wants them can often be persuaded to cooperate by gently cracking them. Held carefully in both hands he bends the cane at the point where he wants it to change direction. Then he applies pressure just until he hears the fibers crack. It is these same hands that bind up.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds
[curing their pains and their sorrows].
Psalm 147:3 AMP

In The Shoot of the Permanent Trunk we learned the establishing of a sound trunk must occur before there can ever be an established vine. Then, as with starting a young vine, part of the pruning process for established vines is the early start on training and tying the shoots upward on the trellis wires. Every year.

The vinedresser’s purpose in doing this seasonal early training and tying up of the shoots is twofold:
– to maintain spacing, and
– to keep the shoots from trailing on the ground or breaking off in the wind

Sound familiar? It’s the same process for both young and maturing vines. The training and tying up goes on repeatedly, season after season. For those vines that are responsive to the cleansing touch and healing handling of the vinedresser (and the heavenly Vinedresser), a most amazing transformation begins to take place, albeit quietly and unseen until such a time as it pleases Him to reveal it.

The vine is becoming an established vine.
The stronger and deeper the rooting, the better established the vine becomes.
The better established the vine becomes, the greater will be the quality of the fruit.

It is a progressive establishing. Not unlike the progressive development of the Bride of Christ. Before we return to the Shulamite, however, there is another important element – where the development occurs.

OUTSIDE THE CANOPY

More important than the quantity of the canes is the quality of the canes.

Often we have heard the phrase quality, not quantity. Yet how often has the truth of those three words escaped the realm of our understanding? Truth may simmer for a very long time in the subterranean recesses of our spirit before it moves upward. In the meantime, the striving for quantity often rules.

Of all the movement that occurs in life, there is none so richly satisfying and life-giving as when Truth rises like sap from our innermost being to our consciousness. It is like the light of dawn spreading its warm rays across one’s soul, swallowing into itself the encroached shadows that hid and obscured.

But we don’t experience it by remaining in the shadows. Our fruitfulness, indeed our quality, requires – just as it does for full and beautiful ripe clusters of grapes – having been developed outside the canopy.

Join me next time for part two as we consider the significance of the canopy in the development of both a fruitful vineyard and the fruitful Bride. She whose quality is such…

…that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory,
having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;
but that she would be holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:27 NASB

~ Gracefully Free

photo credit: dancing goose via photopin cc

Shammahs Field LLC/Shammah Ministries is the biblical counseling, life coaching, and spiritual growth ministry entrusted to Wayne & Nancy Bentz. You can learn more about the resources they have to offer at shammahsfield.com and nancybentz.com.