Planting God’s Word

Planting God’s Word

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.

Jeremiah 4:3

The way the Amish farm today is very similar to the way farmers farmed for hundreds of years. Instead of using motorized plows, cultivators, and fossil fuels, Amish farmers use horses and horse-drawn plows. These Amish plows are similar to those with two wheels, designed during the time of the Civil War. The plows are designed to allow farmers to sit while plowing.

When it comes to plowing the ground, Amish farmers have an intimate knowledge of their land. Their farms are more diversified than non-Amish farms. They plant different crops during different years so as not to deplete the soil of necessary nutrients. They also know when the ground is ready for planting. Amish farmers monitor the weeds that grow on their land to determine soil deficiencies.

What would happen if we had such an intimate knowledge of the soil of our own hearts? Each of us needs to plant God’s Word in our hearts daily, but are we taking time to prepare our hearts to come to His Word? Maybe you need a little diversity. Instead of writing in your prayer journal, sing a familiar hymn. Instead of reading from your favorite devotional book, consider meditating on a Scripture passage that God has put on your mind. Do you have other deficiencies? Ask God to point them out.

Hosea 10:12 says, “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.”

We do need to plant the seed—God’s Word—in our hearts, but let us not forget to prepare the soil first.

Dear heavenly Father, plow up my heart, and prepare it for Your Word. Show me any hard ground that needs to be softened by Your Spirit. May the seed of Your Word go deep and grow strong within me!