Hosea 10:12 AMP
Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing] until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you.
This verse is placed in the middle of God's pronouncements of judgment for the people's sin. As I read the verse above in the context of the whole chapter, a number of lessons come to attention. The first is that it does not matter how terrible the past or the present is; God can turn it around if I surrender all to Him and allow Him work. In the midst of the biggest mess can be one of God's special messages. It is by placing the mess in the hands of the Mighty God that this is made possible. Am I ready to hand it all over to Him so He can do with me what He has promised and what He alone can do? The second is that God has no favourites when it comes to sin, but He will punish sin in whomever it is found. I mat hide for a while, but the promise of God is that my sin, if left unconfessed, will be found out and will lead to judgment. It bears repeating here again that sin is not to be toyed with. The price that God paid for my sin shows the depth of God's hatred of sin and the quality of the access that He has provided for man to return and be reconciled to Him. If God has now done all these, how would I be able to blame Him for the consequences of my actions if I reject Him?
The third lesson for me, which is closely connected to the second, is that there is always a season of harvest for whatever I sow. One of God's unbreakable laws on this side of eternity is that as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, among other things, will not cease. What this means is that I have to carefully plan and prepare for the quality and quantity of the harvest I seek. How can I seek good for myself if I am constantly engaged in evil? How do I think that the God who made the eyes to see would not know the motives and intentions of my heart? The seed is never seen once it goes into the ground, but the evidence of the seed cannot be ignored once it is made manifest. The quantity of the seed also looks nothing like the quantity of the fruit that is revealed. What kind of seed am I putting into the ground? I must note that all seeds, whether good or bad, will lead to fruit. If I know the kind of fruit I love to eat, I will take time to select the right kind of seed. If I seek unfailing love, I must plant the seed of righteousness.
The fourth lesson is that there is this time lag between the sowing and the harvest; it will not happen overnight or suddenly. I have to put in time and effort to preserve the seed by providing a conducive environment in which it will thrive. The ground must be ploughed and prepared, otherwise whatever seed is thrown on it will be wasted. The seed is then nurtured by watering and weeding, as well as protected from predators and consumers. Can you imagine a farmer who just wishes for good fruit but does nothing to make it happen? It is time to seek the Lord, as we trust Him for the rain that will cause the ground to be conducive for the seed to bear fruit. We can ask Him for rain because we have done our part in line with the expectation of the increase that is coming. The rain that God promises helps me live right; it is called the rain of righteousness, which again looks like the right seed for the times we are in. I cannot stop seeking God at any time; this is a lifelong journey, leading to eternal life with God. What decisions do I need to make today, to enable me live the life God has called me to? He wants to show Himself strong and mighty if I let Him. Would you? God's time of favour is here.
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