God’s way of teaching His children is beautiful. Confronted with the problem of describing heavenly and spiritual things to an earthly and carnal humanity, our loving Heavenly Father is not unmindful of what it takes to bring home truth to not only our minds, but our hearts as well. In Romans 1:20 the apostle Paul explains that, “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” In giving the instruction to “break up” our “fallow ground” the Lord has the amazing purpose to teach us of some of the invisible things of the nature of heaven and how it relates to our hearts. 

DISCOVERING THE HIDDEN ROCKS OF OUR HEARTS

With various implements of agriculture we work up our fields over two feet deep in order to prepare the ground for planting.

As the result of the process, what was before hidden from our eyes by grass and layers of soil now is unearthed. Rocks, in all shapes and sizes are brought to sight, some of them of such large size that it is hard to imagine that they hid so close to the surface!

Yet, beyond the stones that can be readily seen are a larger number, disguised as dirt clods, that will only be revealed when a heavy rain from heaven is showered upon the open field. In Ecclesiastes 12:14, Solomon bids us to keep the Lord’s commandments because “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing”. Those “secret things” are like the rocks in our lives.

THE SOIL OF OUR HEARTS

Beyond the items that must be completely removed from the field, just as sin must be entirely removed from our lives, there is another aspect of this process that deserves our attention. The soil is necessary for the growth of the plant and therefore cannot be removed as the rocks, but it must be worked in order to be made productive.

In its natural state it is hard and nearly impenetrable to a tender root trying to break through and establish the plant. In the same way, the apostle Paul asserts that “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” 1 Corinthians 2:14. It can truly be said of our hearts in their pre-worked state as God said of Leviathan’s heart, “His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as the lower millstone” Job 41:24.

What then must be done? That hard, fallow ground must be broken up! The plow must be set to work, and not merely in a surface effort. As Christians, we cannot have an experience that merely scratches the shell of our hearts. Christ wants the whole heart to be soft and mellow, prepared for every heavenly seed that He desires to plant there.

MAINTAINING HEALTHY SOIL

But how often should this work be done? Will the soil stay loose forever once worked? Several times while participating in door-to-door literature evangelism, I have met individuals that made great efforts to find out precisely when I was saved, assuring me that once I was, I could never lose that salvation no matter what I did. You may have heard of the doctrine of “once saved, always saved”, but since the physical world reflects the spiritual and agriculture is a lesson book of salvation, could we for the purposes of this article rename this belief “once plowed, always plowed”?

To anyone who knows the nature of soil and its hardening tendency over time, the silliness of such a belief can immediately be seen. The fact is, that unless the soil is continually worked, it will always tend back toward its natural state. That is why the Christian cannot sit back after an initial experience with the Master Gardener and fold his hands saying, “I am plowed! My soil is soft and ever will be!” Knowingly, Ellen White in her book Christ’s Object Lessons stated, “The soil will not produce its riches when worked by impulse. It needs thoughtful, daily attention. It must be plowed often and deep, with a view to keeping out the weeds that take nourishment from the good seed planted. Thus those who plow and sow prepare for the harvest. None need stand in the field amid the sad wreck of their hopes” (88).

ALLOWING OUR HEARTS TO RECEIVE THE DEEPER WORK

Returning to the nature of the ground, beyond the farmer, the Lord in His mercy has provided some laborers in nature that seek to curb the hardening process. The roots of hardy grasses and trees, the billions and trillions of earthworms, ants, and other microorganisms do a good work in their sphere.

In the same way, God has given gifts to man to keep his heart softer than what it otherwise might be—family, employment, and much more. However, unless we have an individual experience with the master Farmer and He takes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh through the gospel plow, we will never produce the fruits of the Spirit.

But if we allow Him to often work our hearts and minds, “He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food” will “supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness”( 2 Corinthians 9:10).