Break up the Fallow Ground!
Hosea 10:12
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord that He may and rain righteousness upon you.”
1 Peter 2:24
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”
“May I with Moses choose affliction rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.” (Valley of Vision, p. 105; pp edition)
“Return again with showers of converting grace to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.. Help my soul to breathe after holiness.” (Valley of Vision, p. 99; pp ed)
My pastor's(Mark Mullery) sermon on Chapter 10 of the book of Hosea yesterday was like a cool drink on a hot day. He pointed out the warnings that God was giving to His people and His judgements and then in the midst of that gives us verse 10. God gives a way out and showed them how !!
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord that He may and rain righteousness upon you.”
1 Peter 2:24
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”
“May I with Moses choose affliction rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.” (Valley of Vision, p. 105; pp edition)
“Return again with showers of converting grace to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.. Help my soul to breathe after holiness.” (Valley of Vision, p. 99; pp ed)
My pastor's(Mark Mullery) sermon on Chapter 10 of the book of Hosea yesterday was like a cool drink on a hot day. He pointed out the warnings that God was giving to His people and His judgements and then in the midst of that gives us verse 10. God gives a way out and showed them how !!
How does this apply to today? God wants us to respond to his warnings of sin in our lives! I realized that sometimes I respond to sin, after the fact (in sorrow and repentance, sometimes in guilt) when instead I could have headed off the sin by responding to God’s warnings first!!!
God doesn’t just sit idly by and wait for us to fall into sin, he warns us! Oh the kindness of God in his sovereign love! In v 10 Hosea tells us to “break of your fallow ground.” My pastor told us ways that we can break up the fallow ground, the hardness of our hearts: through prayer, journaling, applying scripture and involving others.
I have used these methods immediately AFTER sinning… but I had a “duh” moment, as I realized yesterday morning, to use these methods BEFORE the sin!!! This is especially effective for an area of sin where you struggle in. I am blessed to have people in my lives who ARE involved with me and will help me battle sin. What a blessing from God!
God doesn’t just sit idly by and wait for us to fall into sin, he warns us! Oh the kindness of God in his sovereign love! In v 10 Hosea tells us to “break of your fallow ground.” My pastor told us ways that we can break up the fallow ground, the hardness of our hearts: through prayer, journaling, applying scripture and involving others.
I have used these methods immediately AFTER sinning… but I had a “duh” moment, as I realized yesterday morning, to use these methods BEFORE the sin!!! This is especially effective for an area of sin where you struggle in. I am blessed to have people in my lives who ARE involved with me and will help me battle sin. What a blessing from God!
The 1 Peter scripture reminds me of the assurance I have in Christ as I die to sin and live to righteousness. God is FOR us, not against us! I am freshly reminded of what Puritan John Owens said, “Kill sin before it kills you.” My prayer today is indeed, “Help my soul to breathe after holiness.” Amen?
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