Preachers of the gospel, in a sense, are farmers. We are called to sow seeds, water them, and, at times, harvest the crop. As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 3:7, “So then neither he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase.” But what about sowing seed on fallow ground? Before a farmer can plant, he must plow. Otherwise, his seed will go to waste, never taking root. And, as Jesus taught in Matthew 13, some seed goes by the wayside, some in stony places, some among thorns, and some on good ground. So, how do we ensure God’s seed takes root in our heart and the hearts of others?
Hardened Heart
In Jeremiah 4:3, God speaks to the children of Israel, commanding them to “break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” Why? Because the children of Israel hardened their hearts against God’s law. As per Chapter 3, they perverted their way, forgot the Lord, and disobeyed God’s voice. God pulled his hand away from His people, allowing them to suffer so they may repent and return. God now admonishes them to break up their hardened heart.
I can’t help but remember the times when I hardened my heart. The Word could not penetrate my heart because I had hardened it. Things were not turning out the way I thought they should. In my twenties, I lost a good-paying job with a respectable title. I was upset. How can this happen to me? Why would the Lord allow this to happen to me? I began dabbling with worldliness, and soon, I became a slave to pornography.
Disappointed Heart
Another time, my fourth child ended up having a life-threatening seizure. As he was seizing, I laid hands on him and commanded demons to leave him in Jesus’ name and for healing. As a result, he got worse. I ended up calling 911, and he ended up in the hospital in a drug-induced coma for ten days (if my memory serves me right). “What in the world was that, Lord?! When I needed you the most, I stepped out in faith, called on your name, and you failed me!” I hardened my heart more. Did I apostatize? No. Was I lukewarm, at best? You bet I was.
In 2008, nobody can forget about the housing crash that bankrupted millions (including yours truly). I got involved in insurance sales in 2005, ended up with a life-threatening fight with cancer, overcame (thank God), and went back into insurance sales. I was pretty good at it and soon found myself making pretty good money. You would think God could get my attention with life-threatening cancer (and He did)! I repented, got back into ministry, and began preaching on the streets again. But I held on to mammon. So, as a result, the Lord crashed the entire economy because of me; sorry, everybody.
Idolatrous Heart
So, what was the issue? I turned, repented, and even began to seek the Lord. I believe my heart was hardened due to my lack of discipline with daily devotions. My prayer life and commitment to God’s Word were sorely lacking. Did I love Jesus? Yes. Did I seek Him? Yes. But sadly, my commitment to gaming, football, and basketball far exceeded my commitment to serving Jesus. Did I seek the Lord before preaching? Yes. But my daily reservoir of His new wine was empty. I succumbed to spiritual anemia and idolatry.
Broken Heart
What does this have to do with breaking up your fallow ground? I’m glad you asked. According to Ephesians 6:17, the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 teaches us that the “word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the diving asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” What implements are better for breaking up hardened items than a sharp object, like a sword?
If you are not in the Word of God, your heart will be hardened. You cannot have a soft heart without God’s holy Word influencing you. The law of the Lord converts your soul and makes you wise (Ps 19:7). The law is made for the lawless and disobedient and is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (1 Tim 1:9 and Galatians 3:24). His Word is known as water which sanctifies and cleanses (Ephesians 5:26). Without water, it is impossible to be sustained. We must have His Word!
The Solution
Whether a backslider, saint, sinner, or fledgling phony, we must be sustained daily by His Word. Jesus, in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:11), said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” His Word must be ingested daily. It keeps us and sustains us. It humbles us and teaches us. Without it, our hearts will be hardened, and we will not be able to retain any of the nutrients from the seed.
Man of God, preacher, prophet, or teacher. If you are not leveraging the law to break up the fallow ground, you may be wasting your time. Do not fail to preach the whole counsel of the Word of God as Paul did. You need His law to humble the proud.
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Very thought provoking! Makes you stop and think . Need to spend more time reading the Bible and praying!