From Hosea

I was reading from Hosea this morning and verse 10:12 jumped out at me

Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is a time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

Hosea spoke this as a warning to Israel because of their rebellion against God (this is made clear in the following verses of chapter 10), but I believe that the instruction can be applied as an encouragement (aka challenge) to me during this time of preparation that I'm in.

My favorite part of the verse is this:

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

What a wonderful picture of actively waiting upon the Lord. Just like Leah, I tend to think in analogies. I've been trying my hand at gardening the past couple of summers and I've learned a couple of things. 1. No matter how badly I might want my basil to grow from seeds, it is outside of my power to make them sprout. 2. If I don't properly take care of the basil seeds (watering them, making sure that they get enough sun light, etc) then I can be almost positive that they will not grow and mature into hardy plants. The same is true with my waiting and learning as I prepare during this season of my life. I can't change my heart by myself or grow in areas of sin and weakness no matter how much I might want to or how much I try in my own efforts. But I can devote my time and energy into preparing my heart, seeking the Lord and actively waiting in expectancy for what the Lord will do!