Let It Rain

"Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."
(Hosea 10:12)

"Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord."

I can't remember having read this before even though I know I have. Surely my eyes scanned the words, but my mind must have wandered.

Or maybe God prepared this Word for me to SEE it today. Know what I mean?

"Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord.

Fallow ground is ground that has not been tilled. Hosea is addressing the principle of sowing and reaping and making sure the soil of our heart is prepared to receive the Word of God. He says that if we plant seeds of righteousness, we will reap mercy.

But my thoughts went to something else.

"Break up your fallow ground..."

Have you ever tried to plant a garden in red clay? It is SOOOO difficult! Clay is downright hard! It is ornery, stubborn and definitely has a mind of its own. Only through breaking up the clay with a hoe or tiller will it yield to the gardener's hands. Only through breaking it up can the gardener plant seeds and expect a harvest.

Perhaps that is what happens when we go through periods of brokenness. Our hardened hearts are broken down into pliable soil to receive the Word of God. Can you see the image of the broken clay? Can you see the Gardener's calloused hand gently pushing the soil aside to make the perfect site for His seed of righteousness? Beautiful, isn't it?

Friend, it is time to seek the Lord. Our hearts are being prepared to receive His Word like never before. Strife and discord are commonplace. Struggle and stress have reached new heights. Could these difficulties be laced with eternal purposes?

Brokenness breaks up the fallow ground to better receive the Word of God. Hmmm...
"For it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

Let it rain, Lord. Let it rain.

Praise You, Father! Help us see that our times of brokenness have eternal purpose. We desire Your righteousness. We long for Your mercy. And we yearn for that coming Day when we will see You face to face. Take our hearts, we ask you; Take our lives, we give You. We are Yours. We are Yours. Thank You, Lord.