Israel is a very rocky area of the world, stunning beautiful yet rocky. So, farmers as they works their fields must remove the rocks that rise up to the surface so they can till the soil, cultivate, and plant their crop. If they don’t the rocks effect and limit the quality and quantity of the harvest.
In speaking with Ronan in Israel, modern technology has allowed Israel to produce an overwhelming abundance of produce from soil that thought to be worth nothing, barren. Big green John Deer tractors and farming equipment have made rock removal much easier and drip irrigation, and huge greenhouses have provided water efficiently to areas now to grow abundant produce. Literally what was desert, not produces abundantly!
In the same way that the fields have rocks that limit the harvest, we have rocks in our hearts that God wants to remove so He can work through us to produce an abundant spiritual harvest. If we will allow God and work with Him, God replaces our heart of stone (slowly) and will give us a heart of flesh.
Not all the rocks in the farmers field come up at once. Similarly, God with bring up one rock in our heart to us as He wants to deal with and remove that rock from your heart. Remember, God says to “Guard our heart at all costs, for out of it flows the wellspring of life”. God will show us a stone, which is an area of sin or darkness.
When God brings that stone to the surface, He requires us to confess our darkness /sin to Him, truly repent and turn towards Him, trusting Him, and believing that God can and will remove that stone in our heart. Always remember, we ( by ourselves in our natural power) can do nothing, so only God can change our heart. How do I know God, will do it? It is God’s will to do it (if we allow), scripture says it
clearly.
As the farmer removes stones, his field becomes clear, his work is less and harvest much more. Similarly, as we allow God to clean us up by removing stones in our heart, we find our lives becoming more fertile for His Kingdom and glory. Always remember, we are here for Kingdom purposes and fruit. Our spiritual eyes and ears are opened to see and hear Him more clearly. As we hear Him and obey (Just do it!), our wisdom, understanding, communication with God grows. Sounds like a true relationship, right!
The farmer decides where, when, and how to work his field. Similarly, when we are “in-step” with the Holy Spirit, yielded to Him guiding, teaching, and leading us everyday, it is the HS who directs where what field we plow, when we plow, how fast we plow, or even if we plow. The HS directs us every step. He chooses what tools to use. Like the farmer, the fruit of our lives are His harvest, not ours. Its His fruit, His glory, it’s all His. Praise God.
Removing stones from the farmers field is trying at times, many are boulders, that more time and effort before finally they can be pushed out of the field. Some stones get removed and it seems they come right back. There is no stone or boulder in our hearts too big for God! Trust in Him alone.
If a stone is rising to the surface in your life (thinking about it, focusing on it, effecting those around you, distracting you from God and His purposes), you can be assured God is asking you, will you give this to me? Trust me with it?. I want to remove this from you my child. He wants you to have more of him, so He must make room. Our heart is always filled fully with something.Before Jesus is in our life our hearts are totally dark and full of all kinds of evil. Jesus has overcome all sin and darkness, and wants our hearts to be flesh and full of the “nature of Jesus”. Full of His heart, love, purpose.
This stone removing can be trying at times in our life, b ut He starts to allow us to glimpse what HJe is doing in our life. He is transforming us into His likeness just as He has promised He would if we follow Him the rest of our lives.
-a renewed mind
– a heart of flesh
– a new life
– a new purpose and destiny
Our part is when God shows us a stone He is ready to deal with
– Confess this sin/darkness in our life to God
– Repent and turn from it towards God’s arms
– Allow God full access to your heart in that area
– Pray God for God to show you other stones that you can not see
– Praise and give thanks to the Lord for the great works He has already done
TRUST & REST that God will get it done.
What are the stones that God wants to remove from your heart today?
– Painful past hurts
– Feeling unloved
– Unforgiveness & Bitterness
– Independence , Pride
– Idols of the heart, dry cisterns
– Critical , judgemental
– Self centered…..its about me and my
Only after God has delivered us from these stones are we really useful to Him to accomplish His work, His Kingdom purposes. He will use us to help others, encourage others that also need stones removed, and need more of Jesus! We have a story to tell, a powerful story to shout from the rooftops!