December 8 - Break Up Your Fallow Ground

God was calling Israel and Judah to replant their lives. They had to work hard to break up their fallow ground and plant what was right in God’s eye. Ephraim was like a trained calf, contented to eat while threshing grain. But now, God wanted her to be under the yoke and start working. Judah must plow and Jacob must harrow for himself. They must do the heavy work of plowing and harrowing under a yoke to prepare the ground for their change.

They were doing the wrong type of farming before, plowing iniquity and reaping injustice. They had eaten the fruit of lies because they had trusted in their own way and in the multitude of their warriors. That was why there was no peace except war and destruction. Despite of all their farming, their ground was still fallow and needed to be plowed.

This is a picture of many of our lives: fallow ground due to sins committed. Our hearts have become harder and harder. Real brokenness is needed so that we may have a turn around. Instead of planting our own plants, we need to allow God to sow into our lives. If we sow for ourselves righteousness, we are going to reap steadfast love. It is no longer our own seed of self-will and self-centeredness. We have to give our lives over to God and let Him do the planting. But before that, we must plow our own fallow ground.

To prepare for the new seeds, we have to do the plowing just like Ephraim, Judah and Jacob. No one can do the plowing for us and we must break up our own fallow grounds. The only way to brokenness is the confession of our sins and repentance in the name of Jesus Christ. If our hearts are hardened like the heart of Pharaoh, we are not ready for God’s planting. Once the ground is prepared and plowed, we are ready to receive the seeds of righteousness.

The seed of righteousness must be accompanied by rain and the rain comes from God as well. The way for God’s rain of righteousness to come is to seek the Lord, ask Him for refreshing showers for the new seeds to grow. As you seek the Lord, you will watch your life grow, the more you seek Him, the more the plant of your life will spring up and prosper.

The fallow ground is just like the hardened ground on the pathway in the parable of the sower. People have been walking on it and the repeated applications of weight can make any soil to become hard and fallow ground. Confess the hurts in your life now and ask God to replant your life. Seek after Him for the rain of righteousness so that new life can come.