December 10
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and breakup your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the
Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12
As we drove through Lancaster County, PA in the early spring, black hats speckled the barren, brown fields as farmers with their similarly capped sons and bonneted female family members, all worked together beside their shiny brown horses to ready the earth for planting. We watched in amazement. How organized they were and how long and hard they worked together tilling those fields. There were no tractors to be seen, which we knew would have made their work easier and more quickly accomplished. It brought to mind our experience preparing for a small garden in our yard. Breaking up the hardened ground and turning the earth, eliminating weeds and rocks, was not an easy task. It took determination and strength and the courage to continue when ready to quit! It was a tedious activity, performing the same task over and over until the job was done, but months later, after the constant weeding and the showers of water, the plentiful, lush, fragrant flowers that graced the fence and the delicious fresh vegetables ready to be enjoyed were well worth the effort.
We all have unplowed ground within; areas of our lives that have become barren, cold and rigid. How we wish there were a machine of sorts that could plow right through all that hardness to make it easier to plant those seeds of righteousness, selflessness, love and caring, without all the work! But God is not asking for speed. God is not asking for someone or something else to do what He is asking of you. Hosea reminds us that only we can break up those areas of hardened ground that all of us have inside. Only we can seek God’s help in doing so; all we have to do is ask. He did not say the task would be easy, just that the time is now. . . and after our work is done, like the delight of choice edible fruits gathered at the end of the growing season, God will shower His love and His goodness upon each one of us.
In this second week of Advent, take some time to think about an area of your life that needs attention- a place that may in fact have become impenetrable because of attitude or hurt, and perhaps is causing you underlying distress. Seek God’s help in discerning what you need to work on, so that in its place His peace and joy may rest.
In the tediousness of everyday tasks, we often lose sight of the small steps we can take to soften the hardened areas of our souls. Shower us, Lord with your unfailing love so we may know the way!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and breakup your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the
Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12
As we drove through Lancaster County, PA in the early spring, black hats speckled the barren, brown fields as farmers with their similarly capped sons and bonneted female family members, all worked together beside their shiny brown horses to ready the earth for planting. We watched in amazement. How organized they were and how long and hard they worked together tilling those fields. There were no tractors to be seen, which we knew would have made their work easier and more quickly accomplished. It brought to mind our experience preparing for a small garden in our yard. Breaking up the hardened ground and turning the earth, eliminating weeds and rocks, was not an easy task. It took determination and strength and the courage to continue when ready to quit! It was a tedious activity, performing the same task over and over until the job was done, but months later, after the constant weeding and the showers of water, the plentiful, lush, fragrant flowers that graced the fence and the delicious fresh vegetables ready to be enjoyed were well worth the effort.
We all have unplowed ground within; areas of our lives that have become barren, cold and rigid. How we wish there were a machine of sorts that could plow right through all that hardness to make it easier to plant those seeds of righteousness, selflessness, love and caring, without all the work! But God is not asking for speed. God is not asking for someone or something else to do what He is asking of you. Hosea reminds us that only we can break up those areas of hardened ground that all of us have inside. Only we can seek God’s help in doing so; all we have to do is ask. He did not say the task would be easy, just that the time is now. . . and after our work is done, like the delight of choice edible fruits gathered at the end of the growing season, God will shower His love and His goodness upon each one of us.
In this second week of Advent, take some time to think about an area of your life that needs attention- a place that may in fact have become impenetrable because of attitude or hurt, and perhaps is causing you underlying distress. Seek God’s help in discerning what you need to work on, so that in its place His peace and joy may rest.
In the tediousness of everyday tasks, we often lose sight of the small steps we can take to soften the hardened areas of our souls. Shower us, Lord with your unfailing love so we may know the way!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson