Sow, Reap then Plow?

I shared this in response to a question a friend of mine asked. Kiki (see her link to the right) had asked people to share about what God is teaching us lately. Here's what I said.

Kiki,

Here's something I noticed today. I've been reading "Downpour" by James MacDonald. At one point, he had me look at Hosea 10:12--"sow for yourselves righteousness, 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 righteousness on you."

Now, maybe I'm missing my farming analogies, considering I'm not a farmer, but don't you want to break up your unplowed ground before you sow any seeds? Isn't it necessary to do that before you're able to harvest anything?

And yet the order is, Sow, then Reap, then Break Up. So it got me to thinking, that if, in the areas of our lives that are "awake" and devoted to God, we are willing to plant and even see the harvest of righteousness, then we had better get more of our life ready for His abundance.

IOW, if we are willing to let God's righteousness to shower us--and produce a crop of righteousness in our lives--it will overflow our own system of levees and dams and flood the "unplowed ground" that we want to hold off for ourselves and not devote to Him.

When that happens the reaping is even greater. Land/Life that was previously unused will become fruitful and abundant in the blessing of God.

That is what I pray for myself today. That God's righteousness will shower my life and bring it to life. That this abundance and blessing will spread to those parts of me that I'm not letting Him use, that I'm holding back.

Lord, God, I don't want to hold anything back from You.

Lord Reign in me
Reign in Your power
Over all my dreams
In my darkest hour
You are the Lord
Of all I am
So won't You reign in me Again!

Pursuing Answers to Questions of Faith & Life,

Kelly


Any thoughts or questions?