By late August in Israel, the crops have been harvested, and due to the lack of rain for a couple of months, most of the fields look very dry and brown and stubbly. Wildfires are common and can spread quickly with the abundance of dry tinder. Some farmers begin clearing those fields and turning the soil to prepare it for the coming rains in the Autumn months.
We have all heard the saying, “You will reap what you sow.” And it is so true! And when we hear this, we think about doing good deeds for others—paying forward, casting bread on the water—and expecting that good to return to us.
But have you thought about also sowing for yourself? Here’s what I read in Hosea 10:12 today,
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.
Have you gotten very comfortable or relaxed in your devotion time this past year? It’s so easy to do. And what happens? Your heart starts to get hard, and your spirit gets dry and weeds of worry or doubt or fear start to sprout up. But now is the time to get back in spiritual shape. Roll up your sleeves and start digging into the Word. Break up those clods of fallow ground in your heart through prayer and praise and studying God’s Word. And as you do this, then He will come and rain showers of refreshing on you.
It takes effort to start sowing in the dry seasons. It’s not easy to break up hard, crusty clods. But that is what faith is—working with a vision of the harvest you will reap even before you get the rain. And that is when the sweet rain of the Lord will come and soak into your heart and dissolve all the crud that has built up in it.
And let us not weary while doing good [for others and for ourselves], for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9)
NOW is the time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you! Be encouraged to dig deep into God’s Word today. You will find many great seeds there that will help your spirit grow and bring forth good fruit for the Lord. Be open to receive the gentle correction of the Lord to break up the hard clods and reveal the little rocks (hinderances) in your life that you need to remove to give your faith the roots it needs to flourish. Be refreshed by the encouraging verses of comfort and promises for your good well-being.
We can sow good deeds for others and for ourselves, but did you know that we can also sow seeds of righteousness to God? And what crop will we reap when we sow to God? (He always pays the greatest dividends to those who pursue Him in their hearts). Look in Galatians 6:8 for the answer,
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
That’s right! When you sow your righteousness to God, He rewards you with eternal life with Him! That, to me, is the best reason to dig back into God’s Word and get my heart ready to receive His refreshing rains. May you too be blessed and encouraged in your spiritual growth today.