Last weekend we loaded up the car and joined some friends for an out of town get-away to “Grandma’s” house. Bags packed, we headed out to the country – hours away from the mess and stress of home. I couldn’t wait!
While the men were out hunting, the kids explored the great, big world hidden in the woods. Safely kept within boundary lines drawn by barbed wire fences, they built bridges across muddy watered creeks and crafted forts from fallen branches. My friend and I sat on the back patio for most of the day talking about life and the bucket fulls of grace we’ve been given. This was our view …
Not too shabby, huh?
There’s something about getting away – about being wrapped in the quiet surroundings of nature. When I left for the weekend, the worries and cares of my week followed me there like a lost puppy. Slowly, however, as I aimlessly crunched through the fallen leaves, the load began to loosen. At times I spoke out loud to “the God who sees me”. I begged to hear His voice – an audible word – a quiet, whisper – I didn’t care as long as I could hear Him there. In that place without noise.
On Sunday morning, back on the porch, my friend and I had our own kind of church. We read portions of each other’s devotionals, listened to some worship songs and spoke faith to each other with our Bibles open on our laps.
I eventually looked down on the Word already open on my lap, and my eyes were immediately drawn to this:
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.
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
Break up your unplowed ground … that’s the part that struck me. That was God’s spoken Word to me. Carrie, it’s time to break up your unplowed ground … whatever that meant.
At first glance, I assumed I needed to repent. Is there soil in my heart that’s still too hard to receive your Word? Do I have an unteachable spirit? Has unconfessed sin left me infertile? For me, that’s always a necessary place to start. However, after a little digging and cross-referencing, I saw something else that God was after.
In other translations, break up your unplowed ground is better translated, break up your fallow ground. Of course! Fallow ground. That explains it. (Not really – I had to look it up.) Fallow ground is soil that has been plowed but was then left unseeded, uncultivated and inactive for a season (or more). It describes land that is undeveloped but potentially useful.
And, what happens to plowed soil left unattended? It doesn’t take much of a green thumb to know the answer to this one. That’s when the weeds begin to creep in.
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19
Worries of this life. Check
False sense of security. Check
Desires for other things. Check
OK, Lord. Now I’m hearing you. How much noise did I bring to this quiet place of rest?Forgive me. Please rid my heart of weeds and thorns that choke out the Truth of your Word. Worry and fear have no place here. Only you can satisfy.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to you word. Psalm 119:37
Coming back home after a weekend away doesn’t always lend itself to a continued sense of peace and rest. As much as I’d like to claim the back room of Grandma’s house and play in the woods forever, we have to come home. I have to come home. Laundry is waiting. So, this is how I’m trying to apply this verse at home.
1. Seek the Lord.
2. Ask Him to break up my fallow ground. (I’m still here. It’s a process. He’s still revealing hard places, pesky weeds and painful thorns that need to be removed. I want to stay here until that soil is fertile again – until it’s ready to cultivate Truth.)
3. Sow wisely because we always reap what we sow. A little crop inspection reveals the Truth. What have I been reaping lately?
1. Seek the Lord.
2. Ask Him to break up my fallow ground. (I’m still here. It’s a process. He’s still revealing hard places, pesky weeds and painful thorns that need to be removed. I want to stay here until that soil is fertile again – until it’s ready to cultivate Truth.)
3. Sow wisely because we always reap what we sow. A little crop inspection reveals the Truth. What have I been reaping lately?
These are things I can do – even while doing the laundry.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!
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