Fallow Ground

“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

Fallow ground refers to land that is either unused or unusable for planting and harvesting crops. After a few years of lying dormant, the ground becomes hard and overgrown with weeds. Seeds scattered on soil in this condition have no hope of penetrating the surface, germinating, and producing a crop. The Lord wants us to bear fruit spiritually, and He likens our hearts to soil that needs to be cultivated in order to be productive. Trees, stumps, rocks, thorns, and weeds need to be removed before the land can be plowed and crops planted. The parallel here is that we have things in our lives that need to be removed before we can become fruitful Christians. Land that has never been cultivated requires a tremendous amount of preparation. A heart that has been left untended demands that we root out the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). Is there some anger, bitterness, or jealousy that has taken root in your life? The longer we allow it to grow, the more difficult it will be to remove. Even if a piece of ground has been used for agriculture during the previous season, it must be plowed and prepared before the seed is planted. Our hearts quickly begin to harden when we neglect to read God’s Word, pray, and attend church regularly. Being a productive Christian requires a great deal of effort, and it is up to us to make sure our hearts are in the right condition to bear fruit.