It's Time to PlantExemplo

Two Questions

What losses have you experienced in the past years that you haven't grieved over yet? God wants us to grieve over our losses. Why? Grief is how we get through transitions of life. If you don't know how to grieve, you won't know how to make progress. People are stuck in the past because they have not grieved over their losses. And so, they have not transitioned. We are products of our past, but we are not supposed to be prisoners of our past. We are stuck in the past because we did not grieve. What trauma have you gone through? What pain, loss, or grief have you experienced? God expects that you grieve. Why? Grief is healthy. Mourning is legitimate. God expects that you grieve properly so that you can experience the closure that is required for you to transition into the new that God has been preparing for you. Psalm 126:5-6 “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” You may be grieving, but be planting. It is okay to plant while you are grieving. It is okay to shed tears, to mourn, to tear up. You are going to return with a harvest as you keep planting in the Name of Jesus. It is okay to plant with tears. It is okay to grieve the losses in your life. It is okay to weep over what you have lost while you are planting seeds for your future. When you learn to grieve properly, you will overcome in amazing ways. But keep planting. Grieving is the transition to greatness. So, it is okay to weep over what you have lost while you are planting seeds for your future.

What personal ploughing and weeding do you need to do before planting? Jeremiah 4:3 “…Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.” The Contemporary English Version puts it this way, “…Your hearts have become hard, like unploughed ground where thornbushes grow.” Some people planted weeds through hatred, gossip, and tearing people down. How do you remove such weeds? You make good what you have done wrong. You plough your heart in repentance, correct your errors, and uproot the weeds. Then, you can begin to sow good seeds. Before you can plant good seeds, you have to take out the weeds. And for some, the weeds in your life point to the absence of the Gardner. Perhaps you have moved away from Christ. You need to recommit your life to Jesus, so go back to Him. Why? Because it is time to plant.

What losses have you not grieved over yet?
What areas of your life need ploughing and weeding?

Take 5: Talk to God in prayer about your takeaway from today’s reading.