Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes
and showers his righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12
The Bible teaches the principle of sowing and reaping. We either sow to evil or sow to good. And we reap what we sow to.
In the illustration above Hosea is writing these solemn words to the Israelites; they had hardened their hearts towards God.
God’s people had become rebellious and strayed after other gods, committing spiritual adultery.
Hosea was calling the nation of Israel back to God in repentance and this included breaking up the fallow ground of their hard hearts.
This call to break up unplowed ground is just as urgent for the body of Christ today.
Many have wandered far from God’s truths, and are living in open rebellion, preaching a false gospel.
We are chasing after other gods, such as materialism, power, self, education, beauty, science, family, sex, and the list goes on and on.
So this Scripture text from Hosea is calling us to examine our hearts and to root out all bitterness, gossip, wrong desires for riches or fame and the list goes on. We need to ask God to “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24)
When we root out false gods, repent, and ask God to renew us, we can then sow righteousness and reap the fruit of God’s unfailing love.
We can only do any of this with God’s grace and Spirit in us, convicting us, and cleansing us.
God will surely show us what areas of our hearts need to be cultivated and plowed.
Certain sinful patterns need to be put off and Christian virtues put on with God’s help.
It will fill our lives with showers of righteousness as we sow for God and not the world.
When we open our hearts to God and allow Him to soften the ground, He will water our souls with His Word.
Others will see a reflection of a heart softened by God’s love, and planted in His grace.
We need to ask God to soften any hard ground in our hearts time and time again so that we can be more useful for His purposes in bearing fruit for His Kingdom.
What do we need to root out today with God’s help?
Is it gossip?
Bitterness?
Unforgiveness?
Greed?
Stubborn Pride?
As we allow God to mold us to the pattern of His will and His Word, He guides our lives for good and not for evil.
This is only possible as we cling to Jesus the true Vine.
In my life God has rooted out anger, stubbornness, unforgiveness, pride and much more.
I am not nearly perfect in any area, but God has refined me through His pruning.
What has He put His spotlight on in your heart and asked you to change by His grace?
God will help us plow up the fallow ground as we ask again and again until our hearts are pliable.
He will help us return to the one and only true God who is merciful and loving.
Now is the time to break up the hardened ground before it is too late.
Your life will be richer for it and so will the soil of your heart.
Believe me, but believe God first for all of this and more.
I have been privileged to being part of witnessing many hearts changed, softened, and tilled to a place of being able to be sown for God’s purposes.
Less often, I have seen hearts that want to remain as hard as a stone.
The second condition of the heart saddens me immensely.
Wouldn’t you want to live a life pleasing to God, sowing good, and reaping His love?
Allow His Spirit to make you whole, to change you, to grow you, and your life will blossom in His grace.
I know this for fact and can vouch for His grace being real because He has done this in my heart and I know with strong conviction God can do it for you if you let Him.
Will you ask God to change your heart and life today?
Plead with Him to plow up the hardened ground for it is time.
His love will soften any heart, even a heart of stone.
This Monday morning, the last one in May, I invite you to allow God’s love to ignite a passion in your heart to live for Him.
Your life will never be the same. Love and kindness will fill it to overflowing. Grace will settle its ridges.
God will crown your heart with goodness, your life with spiritual riches. That means something.
How can you say no to that? Look at the other options? A hard heart, and a hard life.
Won’t you bow the knee and pray today?
I will too.
We need God to plow the ground of our hearts and soften them until we reach heaven.
That is the day our hearts will be perfect in the arms of Jesus, the master gardener and plowman.
Until then, may God make those rough places plain.
To His glory.