"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you."
Hosea 10:12
If we sow seeds of righteousness we reap a crop of steadfast love. The one leads naturally to the other. The Lord calls us to “break up our fallow ground,” which means to pay attention to those fields we haven’t been planting, areas where we haven’t been working before, to sow seeds of righteousness there as well.
But of course He’s talking about true righteousness of the heart, not a formal, legalistic righteousness, or a hypocritical, self-righteous religious attitude. When the fruit of the Spirit is seen in our lives; true goodness flows from a converted heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit. When that happens we will see a harvest of steadfast (unwavering and lasting) love in the communities where we live.
Lord Jesus, You said that rivers of living water will flow out of the hearts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be seen in the lives of those who know You. Let it be so! Let us see the harvest of whole communities characterized by steadfast love. Let Your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles