How Not To Waste The Good Seed {#lifegivingwords}

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.” (Jer 4:3)

Lord, I NEED to hear a Word from you today. My mind is angry, my heart is closed.

These words take me by surprise as I read them even though I’m the one who wrote them; in my journal on July 30^th five years ago.

My emotions were raw after a stupid argument with my husband as I was leaving for work. His phone call to bridge the gap didn’t go well. I wasn’t ready to talk to him.

I retreated to be alone and spent 15 minutes or more downloading all my laments and all the reasons why I was right and he was wrong when I wrote those words. I knew my emotions were getting the best of me and none of my methods of reframing, refocusing, or taking captive the errant thoughts were working.

I prayed that even in the middle of the kings and prophets of Israel and Judah, the Lord would have something for me. Anything.

Today’s verse leapt off the page and became a living conversation.

Denise, my beloved daughter, plow up the hard ground of your heart. If you don’t, your time with me today will be wasted.

I don’t understand?

The time we spend together as you read My Word and the conversations we have is good seed. If you do not plow up your heart and make it a fertile ground, this time will be wasted.

God, I don’t want it to be wasted.

Then surrender your pride and power.

Whooooosh.

The pent up emotion deflated as if someone had let go of the neck of a fully blown-up balloon.

Pride and power were at the center of the argument. I believed I was right and I wasn’t backing down.

Surrender your pride and power

I meditated on those words all day. When the angry emotions welled up, I plowed and I surrendered. I didn’t want to waste the good seed.

A little later, a phone call was made. “I love you, I don’t want us to be angry. I love you.” Those words did not come naturally in that moment and I had to choke them out. But my heart was plowed and the good seed had been sowed. It wasn’t a matter of being right. It was a matter of being loving.

What about you? Is there anything that you need to plow up so that your time in God’s Word is not wasted? Write it down in your journal.

God, my heart is hard about ___________________ today.

Surrender your part in it. Surrender your pride and your power. Create fertile ground for God to work and speak into whatever that situation is.

You can do it.

#livingholy  #lifegivingwords

Blessings,

Denise