Verse of the Day 12/5

Verse of the Day 12/5    

 

Hosea 10:12 Sow righteousness for yourselves
and reap faithful love;
break up your unplowed ground.
It is time to seek the Lord
until He comes and sends righteousness
on you like the rain.  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

Today's verse came up in my Old Testament reading the other day and reading the verse brought several things to mind.  We've all probably heard or said the statement "you reap what you sow" without thinking where it came from, well here it is.

 

We've just gone through Thanksgiving and most of the harvesting is complete across the country.  As you drive past farm fields everything looks about the same, the fallow, upplowed fields and the harvested fields all have the same color of beige and brown and as winter comes with the snow and clouds they will look gray.  Six months from now they'll tell quite a different story.  The farmers will have been out tilling the ground and planting, sowing seeds.  New sprouts will come up and before you know it you'll see those green fields filled with corn that will be "knee high by the forth of July" while the fallow fields, those left dormant will look pretty much like they do now, perhaps with a little more green.

 

It is easy to consider this in comparison to our spiritual condition as being fallow or cultivated.  A. W. Tozer helps to make the comparison as he writes, "The fallow field is smug, contented, protected from the shock of the plow and the agitation of the barrow…. But it is paying a terrible price for its tranquility: Never does it see the miracle of growth; never does it feel the motions of mounting life nor see the wonders of bursting seed nor the beauty of ripening grain.  Fruit it can never know because it is afraid of the plow and the harrow."

 

We may be in the fall season spiritually, but we don't have to wait until spring to "break up the unplowed ground".  Seek God in His Word and in prayer and share His Word and His love; plant seeds in peoples  hearts this Christmas season and you will be blessed.

 

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Hosea 10:11-14 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

¹¹ Once you were obedient
like a calf
    that loved to thresh grain.
But I will put a harness
    on your powerful neck;
you and Judah must plow
    and cultivate the ground.
¹² Plow your fields,
scatter seeds of justice,
    and harvest faithfulness.
Worship me, the Lord,
and I will send my saving power
    down like rain.
¹³ You have planted evil,
harvested injustice,
and eaten
    the fruit of your lies.
You trusted your own strength
    and your powerful forces.