The Soil of the Heart
Years ago I sought the Lord about a specific need I had in my life. Like most people I looked up all the scriptures I could find on God’s provision.
Highlighted in my Bible is 2 Corinthians 9:10, “And God Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your resources for sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”
Oh yes, Amen! I said out loud to myself. Then, I noticed a cross reference to Hosea 10:12, “Break new ground. Plant righteousness, and harvest the fruit that your loyalty will produce for me…” As I dug into my concordance I found this: The word “break” refers to fallow – land plowed and left unseeded for a season or more, not in use, inactive. Also remove your superstitions and vices. Superstitions- irregular belief in the significance of a particular thing or circumstance. Vices- a fault, defect, shortcoming, or imperfection, bad habit. I realized that there was something I had to do. There was way of thinking that I needed to get rid of. My heart had been hardened because of a hurt caused by circumstances. I was not able to receive anything from God because the ground of my heart was not ready for the seed of His word. The answer to my prayer had been hindered by me and no one else.
In the garden, unattended soil soon becomes over run with weeds, brambles and thistles. Any good, desirable seed would be choked out before it could ever have time to grow. Some would never even germinate. Soil compaction occurs from increased operation of heavy equipment or continuous traffic. Compacted soil can cut crop yields in half due to poor aeration, poor drainage, and lack of nutrients. Roots cannot penetrate properly resulting in weak, inferior plants.
Removing all the weights of the past in my life was a journey for me. It took time in God’s Word to stop the heavy traffic of painful memories from running over and over in my mind. But God is a patient, loving Father. He is so gentle, so kind. He knows me and you better than we know ourselves. And He helps us through. His Word enables us to begin again. No matter what has happened or what opportunities we think we may have missed. He can and will restore us, but we must first allow Him to.
“I, the Lord your God, will make up for the losses caused by those swarms of locust… My people, you will eat until you are satisfied. Then, you will praise me for the wonderful things I have done. Never again will you be put to shame.” (Joel 2:25-26)