The song “Change my heart, O Lord; make me ever new” is occasionally sung in my prayers much differently, “Change my life circumstances, O Lord; make me more comfortable”. It would seem so much simpler for the difficult situations of my life to change rather than the more difficult work of allowing God to change me.
The recent advice of a friend – not to miss the opportunity for the Lord to use the fertilizer of my difficult life situations to change the soil of my heart – made me think. I have come to understand that my willingness to submit the soil of my heart to God’s fertilizer determines the quality of the fruit.
A yielded, submissive, teachable soil yields much different fruit than the soil of anxious desire for change of circumstance. One soil bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control while the other bears the weeds of anger, fear and bitterness.
The cost of the fertilizer can be steep but the fruit it yields is worth the cost.
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7)
Join me this week in submitting the soil of our hearts to God’s fertilizer and patiently waiting as the seeds he plants grow into maturing fruit.
Sharing the journey with you,
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