(Hosea 10:12) “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers His righteousness on you.”
In raising a brand-new building on a vacant lot the first thing that needs to be done before the foundation can be laid is to break ground. The site needs to be excavated first and if you never break ground you will never get to the foundation. It is the same in our spiritual growth. We need to throw off our old self and old ways and put on the new self.
(Ephesians 4:17-32) “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin,” do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, so that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
1. Give Up Self-Will
If you want to break into new territory in your spiritual growth, if you want to break out of the rut you are in then you need to break ground into that new territory and you do that by dying to yourself, to the flesh, and being led by your emotions. Seek the Lord first and His way of doing things and He will take care of the rest. (Matthew 6:33) “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
2. Spend Time with God-Worship Him.
You cannot keep planting apple seeds and expect to get an orange tree! If you want something different then you need to do something different! Step out of your comfort zone! Jesus did! It is time to stop making life about what you want, what you desire, and what you want to make happen. “Give and it will be given unto you.” God gave His Only and only Son and He gained all who have given their hearts to Jesus. Start worshiping more; start reading your Bible more and start spending more time with God. If you want something new and different then you need to do something different. Break ground into new territory!
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23)
God inhabits our praises!
“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
3. Spend Time in the Word
If want to know how to live a victorious and prosperous life then you need to read God’s instruction manual on how to do it; the Bible! (Hosea 4:6) “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”
4. Talk and Pray
You draw close to God when you talk to Him and when you pray. As He answers your prayers and the questions you ask in your time with Him, you discover just how much He loves you and your faith grows. As a result, you become more intimate with Him and your confidence to step out grows!
“Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)
5. Take Steps of Faith—Faith is an Action
Step out of your comfort zone and break ground into a new territory of faith, obedience, and worship and you will step into a brand-new world and yield the fruit of your faith. When you give your whole heart to the Lord in sincere devotion and love, He will give His whole heart to you.
(Ezekiel 34:25-31) “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. I will make them and the places surrounding My Hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are My people, declares the Sovereign Lord. You are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Comments