Our world is in the midst of a pandemic. We are all trying to adapt to the ever-changing guidelines for our health and safety. Life, as we know it, has been radically altered and we are watching our world do its best to find the remedy as soon as possible. Daily life has been disrupted personally, financially and socially and we don’t like it! What’s even more obvious is the unwelcome reminder that there are things in life completely beyond our control. The natural question is “when can we get back to normal?”
According to the Webster’s dictionary the word normal means, usual, typical, or expected.
There are always questions that come to the surface in times of hardship. Whether it’s personal or global, we want to make some sense of affliction with answers. There are many Psalms that pose the questions we’re all familiar with, “How long O Lord”, or “Why O God?” While we can make a theolical case for suffering, the question I think we need to be asking ourselves is, “what will be the outcome in my life through this season?”
As God’s people we can find a myriad of scriptures to comfort us and others about trusting in God, believing that He will see us through and He will supply all we need in and through it all. This is truth indeed and thank God He has richly assured us of His goodness and love. But have we made room in our seeking to ask Christ what further sanctifying work is to be done in us during our times of distress, dispair or the dark night of the soul?
I’m asking myself, “is this all God has in mind, that we, His people get back to normal? Is there perhaps something else that can come of this?”
The Holy Spirit reminded me of the words of the prophet Hosea. “Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your fallow ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain. Hosea 10:12
What is it that God is trying to convey to His people through fields and crops? It is land that could be productive, but for whatever reason has not been broken up, tilled, plowed, and prepared for planting. The prophet is speaking the Word of the Lord and commanding the people to break up that land — spiritually!
Unplowed ground won’t let a crop grow. It’s hard, preventing seeds from penetrating, germinating, and growing to maturity. A good place to begin breaking up the hard, unproductive and unfruitful places in our lives is starting with the prayer of king David.
Psalm 139:23-24 say’s, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
Tilling and breaking up hard dirt is unpleasant and time consuming. But once you get beneath the surface you discover all the things that have been hindering and choking out vibrant growth.
We may have many aspects of our lives surrendered to God. But maybe there’s a plot of land — a part of your life — that you’ve been ignoring. Perhaps you’ve put off plowing this particular piece of land because no one else sees this area of your life and where there was once conviction has now become an agreeable and comfortable compromise.
We can be orthodox in our theology and circumspect in our morality and yet tolerate in our lives some of the subtle “acceptable” sins. Jerry Bridges
Do we really want to go back to normal? Or, can God actually bring about breakthrough in something that has been robbing us of greater service and glory to Him? It is time to seek the Lord, break up that fallow ground and bear more fruit, much fruit to the praise of our God.