“I am concerned for you and will look on you with favour; you will be ploughed and sown.”
Every November 11th, Remembrance Day, many people wear a poppy, a strong symbol associated with the First World War, which is worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community. My understanding is that the poppy is a flower which only grows in broken ground. The bomb-damaged Flanders fields became a perfect area of cultivation, in time revealing a sea/carpet of beautiful red flowers! Our verse here tells us two things about our God:
1 – God loves us and looks upon us with favour, shown in His willingness to send His only Son to de for us; but
2 – Because God loves us, He will not leave us the same – change will come.
If we want to ‘grow’ as Christians, we need to be prepared for God to ‘plough’ us in order that we can receive whatever He wants to sow into our lives, so that we will be the fruit that He desires!
‘And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ (2 Cor 3:18)
Depending on the ‘state’ of the ground, Ploughing can be a hard and painful process, but we know that God is a loving Father, who only wants good things for His children.
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Application:
I remember as a child having growing pains in my knees; it wasn’t something I welcomed but it was necessary for me to become an adult. We need to come before almighty God, and ask Him to show us what He wants to sow into our lives, and what needs to be broken up and ploughed in order for that to happen. We can do this because we know that God only wants the best for us.
‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father. Give me the desires of my heart. Show me what you want to do in my life, and let me allow you to make the necessary changes so that I can become more of the person You created me to be. For Your glory. Amen.