June 13, 2016 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 rain righteousness on you.”
Fallow: uncultivated, unplowed, untilled, unplanted, unsown. By definition, for our heart, our lives, our mind, and our spirit to be “fallow” is certainly not the way God designed life to be. Israel had once again grown cold to the Lord, was not walking in His ways and God spoke to Israel through the prophet Hosea a word that is appropriate and applicable to us in our day. Even though believers have been given new hearts, we must take care to live out of our new nature as it is possible for us to revert back to the old heart or old nature and become fallow in spirit. If we find that our spiritual life is not healthy or vibrant, and that we are living according to the old man we use to be, then it is time for us to break up the fallow ground. Fallow ground is ground that has not been seeded, and the analogy is that our lives need to be seeded with the words that God has spoken. Also, if we are going to be healthy spiritually, then we must sow seeds that produce good fruit; our sowing of seeds is to be done “with a view to righteousness.” Because there is a possibility, and perhaps a tendency for us to become fallow, we must be alert, and be quick to realize that we too can grow cold toward the Lord just as the people of Israel did. Even though God pointed out the fact that they had turned from Him, He did not reject them, but told them what to do about their fallow hearts. God is the enabler, but we have the responsibility to break up the fallow ground, to turn our attention and our desires to the Lord, and to condition our lives to be good soil that receives all that God wants to sow into our lives. Disappointments in life, the consequences of making bad decisions, the insatiable desire for material gain, poor health, financial loss, addictions, the desire to be entertained, and such, can cause one to become spiritually fallow. The good news for us is that, as said above, God gives instruction for how to deal with the fallow ground of our hearts. As I read theses verses, I simply hear God saying: “wake up!” If we have become fallow, God is calling us to take action, to get the shovel or the plow out and break up the fallow ground! We can choose within a minute to take action-to begin immediately to sow good seeds-seeds of righteousness and kindness. Good seeds that we can begin to sow “in the drop of a hat” could include: turning our thoughts to God and to His kingdom; stopping anything in our life that damages our spiritual life; commit random acts of kindness; speak words of renewal; fellowship with other believers who are enjoying God; listen to praise music; look for ways to express life-and the list could go on. The point is; take action, refuse to live another day as fallow ground. God wants you to enjoy abundant life and He has made it possible for you to do just that----go for it.
Mark 4:8: “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
Mark 4:20: “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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 rain righteousness on you.”
Fallow: uncultivated, unplowed, untilled, unplanted, unsown. By definition, for our heart, our lives, our mind, and our spirit to be “fallow” is certainly not the way God designed life to be. Israel had once again grown cold to the Lord, was not walking in His ways and God spoke to Israel through the prophet Hosea a word that is appropriate and applicable to us in our day. Even though believers have been given new hearts, we must take care to live out of our new nature as it is possible for us to revert back to the old heart or old nature and become fallow in spirit. If we find that our spiritual life is not healthy or vibrant, and that we are living according to the old man we use to be, then it is time for us to break up the fallow ground. Fallow ground is ground that has not been seeded, and the analogy is that our lives need to be seeded with the words that God has spoken. Also, if we are going to be healthy spiritually, then we must sow seeds that produce good fruit; our sowing of seeds is to be done “with a view to righteousness.” Because there is a possibility, and perhaps a tendency for us to become fallow, we must be alert, and be quick to realize that we too can grow cold toward the Lord just as the people of Israel did. Even though God pointed out the fact that they had turned from Him, He did not reject them, but told them what to do about their fallow hearts. God is the enabler, but we have the responsibility to break up the fallow ground, to turn our attention and our desires to the Lord, and to condition our lives to be good soil that receives all that God wants to sow into our lives. Disappointments in life, the consequences of making bad decisions, the insatiable desire for material gain, poor health, financial loss, addictions, the desire to be entertained, and such, can cause one to become spiritually fallow. The good news for us is that, as said above, God gives instruction for how to deal with the fallow ground of our hearts. As I read theses verses, I simply hear God saying: “wake up!” If we have become fallow, God is calling us to take action, to get the shovel or the plow out and break up the fallow ground! We can choose within a minute to take action-to begin immediately to sow good seeds-seeds of righteousness and kindness. Good seeds that we can begin to sow “in the drop of a hat” could include: turning our thoughts to God and to His kingdom; stopping anything in our life that damages our spiritual life; commit random acts of kindness; speak words of renewal; fellowship with other believers who are enjoying God; listen to praise music; look for ways to express life-and the list could go on. The point is; take action, refuse to live another day as fallow ground. God wants you to enjoy abundant life and He has made it possible for you to do just that----go for it.
Mark 4:8: “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
Mark 4:20: “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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