Plow it Up

"Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among the thorns." Jeremiah 4:3

They are tearing up parts of our golf course. Different holes have different problems. Bugs, residue from watering, bad choice in seed, lack of proper fertilizer, all caused problems. Some of the work is on the surface, some of it requires deep plugs being stamped out of the ground. Some parts of the course are roped off, others you can still play on. It is a mess, however, it has to be done. Nobody likes it, but the course will die off if the work is not done.
Jeremiah warned the people that God was telling them to plow up their ground, don't plant among the thorns. Just like our hearts. We need to dig out the bugs, stamp out bad memories we love to cling onto, get out the hoe and break up the big clods of ground that block the way for a smooth path toward God's will. It hurts, sometimes it is heavy going. Prayer is the place to do this work. Quiet time with your creator. Get still, take a look in your heart for a bug. Where did it come from, is it worth keeping if it keeps you from hearing God? Pluck it out of the ground, look at it all around. Is it a big, nasty looking thing or a little one just getting started? Your soul doesn't want you to have it around. Pray that your Spirit will help you get rid of this part of you.
Some ground needs a lot of work, months to clear it. Some little patches can be dug up in a few minutes. Done in truth and honesty, prayer and love, you can have a smoother path to doing God's will in your life. Remember as you do this ground repair that God really loves you and wants you to love yourself. We all have ground under repair, or should. You are not alone in that.