This is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns. Jeremiah 4:3

How many of us really “breakup” the unplowed or fallow ground of our hearts and mind?  How many of us continue to plant seeds amoung the thorns of our heart only to have God’s voice squeezed out by the thistles of our past, the choices of today and the scars of un-necessary expectations put on us by others?

I have “sown seed” among weeds, tried to plant good seed in hard, dry undernourished soil which only led to weak, small and malnourished sprouts of faith that were quickly choked-out by a world of desire, unrealistic expectations and self-centered agendas.

Plowing through hard ground is tough work.  it requires stamina, persistence and determination.  Sometimes it requires us to keep focused only on the four feet in front of us instead of the entire four acres spreading out for what seems like miles.  Acres that must be broken up in order for a good crop to be produced.

The unplowed parts of my heart these days are not as obvious as they were years ago when I could identify easily the rocks hills and rodent holes in the field of my heart.  Rocks of selfish sin and holes that tripped me up.  These days it requires an honest inspection of my heart and motives and open eyes to see the ground that is yet to be plowed.  The surface of my field is fresh tilled soil, but there is more dirt underneath that must be raised up and turned toward the sun- I want my roots to go deep in God’s Word, to soak up every bit of the life-giving nutrient of His love and compassion.  So that the fruit of my field is strong, healthy and thriving, not choked out by the thorns of this world.

I realized this week that part of plowing through rough terrain is inconvenient.  It’s time consuming and takes you away from other things that might seem more pressing at the moment or the energy needed to continue “plowing” has waned to the point of fatigue.  But “plowing”  must be done… fruit does not appear without the initial work of plowing~

Jesus tells a story about a farmer who went out to plant a field…”As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ^5…Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear.”

From one farmer to another~  still breaking up hard ground, gonna till deeper!