“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.” (Jeremiah 4:3 NLT)
Planning a garden in the midst of winter requires hope and imagination. The ground is frozen and all deciduous trees are bare. Fortunately, gardeners have colorful seed catalogs to inspire them. These catalogs always have pictures of the end products--vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Images of seeds are not as exciting.
An experienced gardener knows that there is a lot of work between browsing through a seed catalog and harvest. He knows the importance of patience, timing, soil preparation, watering, weeding, and fertilization. Scattering good seed on hard ground is useless.
“Surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord.” (Jeremiah 4:4 NLT)
During the dark winters of our lives, we need hope and vision. God’s Word is like a seed catalog, providing ample insights and inspiration. Yet, reading and repeating Bible verses is not enough. Vulnerability, patience, and preparation are necessary. The hard ground of our hearts has to be plowed up, surrendering pride and power. Contemplation, study, and life application further nurtures growth. All this work is done for one purpose: a changed heart. This hope, this vision--of knowing God, of being absorbed into His being, of being useful to Him--provides all the motivation and direction we need.
No comments:
Post a Comment