It's Time To Plow

The other day the following verses came to mind...

"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

"This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: "Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns." Jeremiah 4:3

I no longer remember what I was thinking about, praying over or walking through when these verses returned to memory, but the idea of plowing has stayed with me. So much so that I asked my farmer husband about one of the farming he tasks he does each year. 

On the farm, plowing is a primary tillage method. Farmers do this to remove trash (corn stalks and such), get rid of weeds and to aireate the soil. On our farm we typically dig 5 to 6 inches deep and turn the soil over. It really is quite amazing to see the process in action. It is a job that takes time, work and power. 

As Job explained this to me, I thought about God's instruction to do this in a spiritual sense. In the two verses above the same command is given - "break up your unplowed ground". Friend, do you have unplowed ground in your heart? 

I asked myself this same question and got to thinking about unplowed ground on the farm - it's hard and beaten down. It's not producing a crop and often overgrown with weeds. An unplowed field is not ready to be planted. I think we could say something similar about our spiritual soil. 

My husband's words and my thoughts stirred me to dig deeper. The Hebrew word for plow is niru and simply means to break up. It means to till the soil. In the farming sense it's when you prepare for planting and spiritually it means the same.

Is your heart hard? In need of grace or full of sin? If so, it's time to plow. If your heart is overrun with weeds and not producing the fruit of the Spirit, it's time to plow. 

As I studied this I found myself saying yes to these questions and realizing my husband and son weren't the only ones who needed to plow this spring. The weather and soil conditions deteremine when they go to work, but friend, when God shows us there is work to be done it's time for action. You and I don't have to own a John Deere or buy certain equipment, but we do need to spend time and do the work. It won't take a certain amount of horse power to do the job of spiritual plowing, but we must be filled with the Holy Spirit and trust His power. 

We can plow the soil of our heart with God's Word and through the power of prayer. His Word will convict us, rebuke us and train us. It will lead to godly sorrow for our sin and remove the weeds of it. This spiritual plowing will purify the soil of our heart so that seeds can grow, fruit will be produced and a harvest will one day be enjoyed. 

And then, just like on the farm, it will be time to plow again. My husband does some plowing in the spring and others in the fall, depending on the field and the crop that's been planted. Spiritually, there are probably seasons of plowing as well and when we get done with one field (or area of our life), chances are God may show us another one we need to plow as well.

Friend, I realize this may not be a fun post or an enjoyable topic, but it's necessary. Plowing isn't the most looked forward to task on the farm either - you have to go slow, the ride is very bumpy and it takes a long time, but it is essential if you want crops to grow. Spiritual plowing is quite similar...if we really want to eradicate sin, we have to dig deep and remove the root. If our desire is for God's Word to produce fruit, we must prepare soil so it can grow. 

So, as you've read this post has God brought an area of your life to mind? A sin you need to deal with and remove? Or a seed, He wants to plant, but first you need prepared soil so it can grow? I'm praying the Holy Spirit will bring something to mind and then I encourage you to pray about this and go to God's Word. Find a verse or two that speaks to what God lays on your heart and don't just read it once. Meditate on it, read it in context, write it down and perhaps even commit it to memory. All these things can play a part in breaking up your unplowed ground and will lead to a harvest that will be good for you and glorifying to God. 

"Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing." 

Proverbs 20:4

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and 

looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” 

Luke 9:62