Sow for yourselves, with
a view to righteousness;
Harvest in accordance with kindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes and rains
righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12 New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
I really like the way the New Living translates this
verse: I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of
righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of
love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek
the Lord, that he may come
and shower righteousness
upon you.’ This verse comes in a chapter talking about retribution
for Israel’s
sins. They had been arrogant and rebellious, thinking they could do what they
wanted without consequence. They were wrong. God planned to discipline them, to
teach them to be obedient. God was more concerned about their hearts than their
actions or rituals. He wanted people who loved and obeyed Him, not ones who
obeyed outwardly but had hard rebellious hearts. This is an important warning
for us to take. Sin and suffering can make our hearts hard, like ground that is
dry and unworked. In order to grow a good crop, it needs to be watered, and
planted. Our hard hearts need to be watered with tears of sorrow, grief and
repentance. They need to be worked up with prayer, Scripture and solid
teaching. They need to have seeds of righteousness planted so that we will
yield a harvest of love and kindness. Now is the time to seek God. Now is the
time to repent. Now is the time for reformation, to turn from sin and
complacency toward godliness. Do not fear condemnation, for He promises to
forgive when we ask and God will help us in the work. He will bring the rain
and make the crop grow, but we have to prepare the field. We need to be ready
for the rain.
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