February 11, 2017 BREAK UP THE FALLOW GROUND
Hosea 10:12: “Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to reign righteousness on you.”
Even though this verse comes from the Old Testament and is pointing to the coming of Christ, it also has a message for those who have trusted Christ as Savior under the New Covenant. The Lord has come, and He has reigned righteousness on us, just as Hosea prophesied. Experiencing life as God designed, and made possible by Jesus, does not happen automatically. Even though believers have the Holy Spirit living in them, there are times when there is a need to be reminded of who they are, and be encouraged to live according to the ways of the Lord, and these words of Hosea serve as a good reminder. First, just the word “sow” is an important word in light of the fact that we are always sowing; it is possible for believers to sow to the flesh, or self, and then reap corruption- see Galatians 5. Because we have been made righteous in Christ, we can sow in righteousness. There is an endless list of the ways in which believers can sow in righteousness, because we are in Christ; including doing what is right in any situation, speaking the truth, giving help where needed, honoring others, encouraging others, trusting God, praying, keeping our word, extending forgiveness-and the list goes on. And, as the verse points out, by being kind, we reap the benefits of kindness. As believers, it is possible for our hearts to become fallow; fallow ground is ground that has no seed growing in it. We may need to be reminded to break up the fallow ground of our hearts and plant the seeds of God’s word so that it might grow and provide nourishment for ourselves and others. Unlike in Hosea’s day, we live in the day when the Lord has come, and He has made us righteous; now we can sow in righteousness, being assured of an abundant harvest of life as God designed! So, for us, if our hearts have become fallow, let us plow the fallow soil, allowing the seeds of righteousness that God has planted to mature into a bountiful crop.
Matthew 13:8: “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
2 Corinthians 9:10: “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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