Plowing Through : Cultivating a Life of Growth and Bearing Fruit
On October 4, 2021 by Anna De Lay
I’m just gonna say it. This year’s garden was a flop. Not a total failure, but not very productive either. My husband tilled it for us last May, and talk about hard ground… even he struggled to break through it. We knew our soil was extremely rocky, and we tried to get as many of the bigger rocks out as we could. There was just way too many small ones to pick out. We thought we planted in a place that got relatively enough sunlight; and even in Montana drought, I’m sure we watered enough every day. Obviously, something went wrong, because most of what the kids planted either didn’t come up at all, sprang up quickly and then just as quickly withered… or was eaten by deer. Squash and zucchini did well until the deer got ahold of the stalks this last week. But overall, something was amiss. (We do have one blessed pumpkin and a green tomato still on the vines though!)
I’m reminded of the Parable of the Soils in Luke 8:5-15:
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.”
Jesus goes on to explain that the seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are those who hear the word, but then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts so that they would not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who receive the word with joy, but they have no root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of temptation, they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns represents those who receive the word, but they allow worldly things to take hold and never bring the fruit to maturity. These may be people who are stirred in their hearts and receive the Word of God, yet inevitably they do not allow it to change them. They allow the thorns of life to manifest instead. But the seeds that fell on good ground are those that received the word with a good heart, and also keep the word and bear fruit with patience.
It is amazing how much the soil matters! It is the foundation for which something great can grow and bear fruit.
In the natural and spiritual, we’ve all had seeds planted here and there in our minds from things we’ve heard or read, yet little to nothing ever became of it. Throughout my adult life, there has been many times I’ve read a good article on nutrition and exercise and followed the advice for maybe a week until it became boring to me. Same goes with organizing… How often do we do this in the spiritual? Maybe we heard a good sermon and felt the message was directly to us; so we immediately set to work on our hearts and lives to make a change. (My husband calls this “charging hell with a squirt gun!”) However, a day or two or maybe a week went by and we got distracted and left things as is. We weren’t willing to put in the extra effort it takes to make a real difference. We forgot the message. We forgot the reason we wanted this breakthrough in the first place. But as the word breakthrough suggests, something has to be broken in order for transformation to come.
Many people have a faint desire to see something different in their lives, yet they keep going back to the same old habits and struggles, knowing fully that these are the things keeping them from growth and abundance.
Truth is, sometimes it takes breaking to get us to change; because, just like unworked soil, this part of our lives is not cultivated yet. Any farmer knows that you cannot plant seeds in ground that hasn’t been broken up and plowed. Just the little bit of gardening I’ve done proves to me that it takes real effort on the part of the gardener (and not just wishing that God would bless it) to see the fruit of their labor. Work must be done before seeds can even take root, else the seed could fall by the wayside, get caught among the thorns, or snuffed out by rocks. In the same way, God’s word is not allowed to take root in our hearts if we are holding on to worldly things.
“For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.“
Jeremiah 4:3
Fallow ground could represent a hardened heart or a life of mediocrity, of unused talents and potential, like a field of dreams laid to waste where thorns and weeds have been allowed to manifest instead of good fruit. Or, it could just be plain dryness of spirit with nothing to show. (I’m sure not knowing how to deal with the dry Montana climate had something to do with our pathetic attempt at growing things!)
Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:14, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you…” The word neglect calls to mind the fallow ground: the forgotten field needing to be plowed. Remember, you need good ground before good seed can take root! Don’t ignore the ground breaking that God wants to do in your heart.
The change you desire demands more from you. There is no way around it. God’s call will always require something of us.
This is a good place to ask:
- Do I have weeds and thorns in my life that are keeping me from bearing fruit? Doubts? Stubbornness? Distractions?
- Where is the fallow ground and how do I plow through it?
Plowing breaks through and brings things to the surface that need to be taken away. Those little rocks, old roots, and weeds should be thoroughly thrown out in order for the ground to be useable and the seed to grow to its full potential. Negative thoughts must be done away with for good ones to take hold. Repentance must take place!
Hosea 10: 12 says, “It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and showers righteousness on you.” Repentance sets the stage for restored blessing! Fruitfulness comes only after we have repented and turned from the sins, the thorns and weeds, that are keeping us from living the life of fruitfulness that God desires. Be ready and prepare for the harvest by first repenting. Oh, the potential we have to do greater things for God if we would actively allow God to do the work needed in our hearts first!
Prayer: Father, I come to you and bring all of my heart. Break what is hardened in me. Plow through what has become dry and unyielding. Help me cultivate the unused potential that has become idle in my life. Convict my heart of the sins of stubbornness, pride, laziness, and worldly desires. I lay it all out before you, asking you to make my heart a good ground for your Truth, that I will experience the pure joy of bearing fruit for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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I am a wife, homeschool mom, musician, and songwriter; but most importantly, I am a daughter of the King. My heart’s desire is to draw closer to God and bring other people with me! Truly, there is no greater joy.
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