"Unplowed Ground"

I’m looking at my pasture,

Hoping for some winter wheat,

Need it for the grazing,

A good stand would be sweet.

But before we plant that seed,

We’ve got to break the ground,

Get that old soil ready,

‘Fore the plantin’ comes around.

And, yes, the ground is rocky,

And it has been so dry,

Takes some time to do it,

But we give it our best try.

‘Cause if you don’t make ready,

The seed, it cannot grow,

The harvest never happens,

If the soil’s too hard to sow.

Get it plowed and ready,

Then get the seed all sown,

Pray the Good Lord sends some rain,

And bless the seed we’ve thrown.

God is the master sower,

The seed, His word that’s true,

But if our hearts have not been plowed,

It’s the next thing we should do.

Break up all that’s hardened,

Let the Spirit have His way,

Receive the word that’s planted,

And in everything obey.

And when the season’s turning,

And the harvest time is near,

So glad you did the plowing,

When the fruit you want is here.

Lord,  break up the fallow ground,

It’s time Your face to seek,

Shower on us righteousness,

Lift up the tired and weak.

We’ll praise You for the harvest,

For producing Kingdom fruit,

Your word is why it happened,

And in our hearts took root

.”…break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12, NIV)

Brokenness is something the great revivalists of church history often talked about. It was plowing up the hardened heart that prepared for the word and the moving of God’s Spirit. When people humbled themselves and allowed their own egos to die, God was able to come in with His agenda and change people and situations eternally. It was God’s work, no doubt about it. And God’s Spirit cannot be manipulated. You cannot “make” revival happen. But great spiritual awakening is possible if we ask God to help us break up the unplowed ground of our hearts.

Lord, plow our hearts, in Jesus’ name.

Art by R.S. Riddick, used by permission. Thanks, and God bless you.