Plowed and Ready
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12
When I was a child, Saturday mornings were for washing our car, and Saturday evenings involved polishing our shoes and getting ready for church in the morning. Sunday mornings typically involved Mom cooking a huge breakfast while my Dad sat in the living room reading through the Sunday School lesson one more time. Sunday mornings were relaxed and fun. We ate, got dressed, and left far before time to for service to start. Life was simpler, and there wasn’t much to pull our attention from the important things. No social media to check, no endless news reporting. Now, sometimes, I’m standing in my closet looking at my clothes at 9:15, when Sunday School starts at 9:45. Last Sunday, I was busy preparing the meal for my extended family after church, getting clothes ready for those who needed it, and ended up finishing prepping something for Sunday School in an absolute rush at 9:30, I came flying into the church at 9:40, barely making it on time.
Obviously, it took me a minute to get myself ready to worship. I felt scattered and out of sorts for a bit. I hadn’t prepared correctly. I had allowed things of the world to keep me from my duties to the Lord. Hosea pleads with Israel in the 10th chapter to sow righteousness to themselves first, to prepare their hearts for God to rain down blessings upon us. If we believe God desires to bless us, and I do, then why shouldn’t we be preparing our hearts to receive those blessings? If we believe God calls us, without a doubt, to come together to worship, and I do, why do we allow ourselves to be concerned with things of the world during the time we’ve set aside to worship Him? Is He not worthy of our full attention? Surely He is!
Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111;1-4
I believe God is calling us to take this time of quietness and lessened activity to purge ourselves of things of the world that would keep us from worshipping Him in fullness and truth. I want to make sure that my mind is stayed on Him, that my heart is ready to worship Him openly and honestly during the song service, that my soul is empty of endless worry and ready to receive instruction during the sermon. I want every single blessing God has for me, today, tomorrow, and all week. What I need to do is do the work to get myself out of the way.
Psalm 51 is such a beautiful picture of David’s pure desire to return to and stay close to God. David had sinned greatly before this, and had gotten caught up in the things of the world. His desire to receive forgiveness for those sins and return to a right relationship with God is palpable. He understands God’s never-ending mercy and throws himself at His feet.
51.) 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. …. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Just as priests in the old testament were commanded to cleanse themselves before entering into the temple, I believe we are responsible for showing up to church with hearts and souls that are clean and ready to experience God in the right way. Take time to pray, to prepare your heart, spend some time in the Word, come into the church service with your fields prepared and expecting rain. He is faithful! We don’t have to wait until July to experience revival in our own hearts. Let’s pray for God’s blessings every day, and look for revival all year long. We have so many in our services each week that are lost and without God. We should spend time preparing ourselves and asking God to make us “vessels unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15
Today… this Saturday, I have resolved to prepare my heart for worship, beginning today. I’ll be prepping clothes, finishing all my duties as a Sunday School teacher. Preparing to awake and spend an easy morning getting myself in the right place to worship God with a heart and unfettered by the world as I can possibly make it. Let’s prepare our fields for a rain, and watch the Lord provide a harvest!
