Breaking Up Your Fallow Ground

For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. – Jeremiah 4:3

Break Up Your Fallow Ground

The Church breaks up her own fallow ground when she stirs up anew the decaying righteousness of her own members.

A Prepared Heart

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. – James 1:21

James saw the human heart as a garden, if left to itself, the soil would produce only weeds.

He urges us to

Pull out the weeds

Superfluity of naughtiness

Wickedness –

Superfluity –

How do we prepare the soil of our hearts for God’s word?

By __________ of our sins

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

By __________ of God’s love and grace through His Word, which will cause us to “plow up” any hardness that is in our hearts

For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. – Jeremiah 4:3

We must have an __________ of “meekness”

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. – James 1:21

The Farmer

7Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

James 5:7-9

James pictured the Christian as a “spiritual farmer” looking for a spiritual harvest.  He admonishes us to be patient and stay steady and strong.

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. – James 5:8

Our hearts are the soil, and the seed is the Word of God

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Luke 8:11

The are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil

Sometimes, our hearts become cold and “wintry,” and we have to plow up the fallow ground before the seed can be planted

God sends the sunshine and the rains of His goodness to water and nurture the seeds planted, but we must be patient to wait for the harvest

You can enjoy this kind of a harvest only if you heart is established

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. – James 5:8

One of the purposes of the spiritual ministry of the local church is to establish the heart, according to Paul in Romans

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established – Romans 1:11

A heart that is not established cannot bear fruit!