June 24

Seek the LORD

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."  Hosea 10:12

 The first step to fruit-bearing is not planting the seeds; it is breaking up the hardened ground. So it is with each of us. First the LORD must do his work of breaking through our hardened hearts. We must first seek the LORD and give ourselves to him to do the work. This is not a pleasant task for us. It means allowing God to break us to the point of being pulverized, but it is only when we get to this state that the seed will take root and grow. When we realize how hard our hearts are and how much work needs to be done, it is then that we place ourselves in the hands of God and he is able to work at breaking up that ground. When we see the sin that keeps our hearts in a hardened condition and allow him to do his work in us, then we are changed. When we are convicted of the sin in our lives and repent , God is taking the hardened ground and breaking it up so that our hearts will be ready for the seeds to be planted. It is up to us to take the stand that we will no longer be unproductive. It is up to us whether we will lie there dormant, with weeds taking over our hearts, or we will give ourselves into the hands of God and allow him to do the hard work of breaking us that we might bring forth the fruit of his unfailing love

Father, help me to realize how hard my heart is. I know that I have too long lay dormant and my heart is not the place of beauty it could be. Break up the ground of my heart, though it will not be pleasant. Expose me to my sin that I might repent. Soften my heart, oh, LORD, that I might grow the fruit of your unfailing love. Shower me with the rain of your righteousness. May my heart blossom and bring you fruit beyond measure! May others look at my heart and see the work that you have performed in it and praise you! Amen