Faith Lessons from the Field

“Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers His righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12 (NIV)

A Lesson from the Soil

One spring afternoon, my grandson and I followed the tractor as it plowed the family field. The earth, freshly turned, looked rich and ready for planting. Yet there is still work to be done before seeds can be put into the ground.

Our task was simple but necessary: to gather the rocks that had been unearthed during plowing, and we tossed each stone into the wagon. Rocks, big and small, littered the rows, and that little grandson never gave up; he is such a trouper (or should I say a little Freeman Farmer).  I am sure that somewhere along the decades of farming here, we may have broken a few child labor laws, but the boys have certainly developed good work ethics.

It was hot, and it was dusty work.

Yet somehow, we laughed and chatted during the entire process, knowing that without clearing the rocks, the seeds we would later plant wouldn’t have a chance to grow. They would be crowded, stunted, and the harvest would suffer as a result.

What’s in Your Soil?

This morning, my thoughts turned to the words Jesus told in a similar story in Luke 8:5-15, known as the Parable of the Sower. Some seeds fell on rocky ground, others among thorns, but only the seeds in good soil took root and flourished.

“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.” Luke 8:15, NLT.

I couldn’t help but think how much that day of ‘picking up rocks and throwing them’ mirrored our spiritual lives. The soil of our hearts needs tending. There are “rocks” buried deep – unforgiveness, distractions, fear, pride, sin- that the Lord, in His mercy, often plows up through life’s trials and seasons of change. And, like farming, we can choose to ignore them, or we can start picking them up, clearing space for something better to grow.

If we want to grow, we can’t ignore what gets unearthed.

Making Room for a Harvest

The prophet Hosea gives us this instruction:  “Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord…” (Hosea 10:12)

Hosea calls us to break up unplowed ground, not to sit in our hardened places. Just as that day in the field with my grandson, preparing the soil takes effort. It takes intention. It takes clearing. It takes surrender.

Take a walk with the Lord today. Ask Him: What’s getting in the way of growth? What have You unearthed in me that I’ve been ignoring?

Name them. Write them down. Then invite God to help you clear them away.

He’s preparing you for something good. Something more.