"Growing Seasons
I believe all who worship here would say that as a congregation [including you, the listeners!] we have witnessed a ceaseless stream of God's rich power and blessing. The fact that God has sovereignly and lovingly poured forth upon us His mercy and grace has, on the one hand, been humbling to us; on the other hand, it's been enriching.
The Bible speaks of the periodic need for the soil of our lives to be revived and recycled. In Jeremiah 4:3,4 the prophet speaks of the need for renewal and revival. '... Break up the fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.' Jeremiah was addressing a people accustomed to God's blessing and glory, but in need of another season of revival. Any ground that is allowed to remain idle during the growing season is termed 'fallow.' Agriculturally, it is healthy for the soil to sit at times; spiritually, however, it presents a problem when it sits idle indefinitely. The problem arises when my heart experiences growth in some areas, but other whole segments remain idle and unfruitful. They may very well be areas where Jesus, the Lord of the harvest, is looking to reap a crop of righteouness and truth. I'm not even talking about areas where you've resisted, but sections of your spiritual life where the Lord is wanting to plant new seed and produce another kind of fruitfulness.
I'm not much of a farmer, but I know a plow is necessary to break up hard and crusty ground. I think we've all had experiences of feeling the Lord press the plow to our lives in order to prepare it for the seed of promise He plans to plant. From my experience, the process is usually seeding, watering, weeding, and fruifulness.
Oh, how I thank God for being the Heavenly Husbandman, because He's always tending 'The Farm' as it were. While God has graciously blessed us with a season of goodness, He's just as gracious to see that it continues. While He is pressing us to prepare whole new areas of possibilities for us to grow and become fruitful. I suggest you give Him stewardship again over all areas of your heart and life. We all know that revival requires God's cutting edge and our personal cooperation, and they're both essential for experiencing His purpose. All of the preparation is worthwhile, because it provides for revival and lets us believe we shall remain a place of continuous blessing.
Feeling revived,
Ron Mehl"