The red dirt doesn't lie

"Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you." — Hosea 10:12

If you’ve ever walked through the hills of St. Elizabeth or stood in the fields of Manchester, you know exactly what I’m talking about when I mention the Red Dirt. That earth is beautiful, but it is demanding. It’s rich with bauxite, and when the sun bakes it dry, it gets as hard as a brick. You can’t just scatter seeds on top of that red crust and expect a harvest. If you do, the birds will eat your profit before the sun even sets.

To get anything to grow in that red dirt, you have to break it. You have to put your weight behind the fork and turn the earth over until the dark, moist soil underneath meets the air.

In just 48 hours, we begin our journey through Lent. I’ll be honest—my "pastor brain" usually wants to jump straight to the harvest. I want to tell you all the great things God is going to do. But my "farmer brain" knows better. As I sat with the Lord this morning, I realized I was trying to plan my Lenten fast without tilling my own heart first. I was looking for the "bloom" while my heart was still sun-baked and hard from the stresses of life.

Lent isn't a religious performance. It’s a season of breaking fallow ground. Before we receive the ashes on Wednesday, we have to deal with the "red dirt" of our lives—the pride, the old grudges, and the distractions that have made our hearts hard to the Word of God.

My 5:00 AM challenge for you: Don't worry about your "list" of what to give up yet. Just ask the Lord: "Where has my soil grown hard?" Let Him show you the ground that needs breaking today.

Peace, ROHO Founder, ROHO GIVE $5 ( Lenten Prayer For Focus And Clarity

A Lenten Prayer for Focus and Clarity

Lead me in the way that I should go and give me clarity and a clear focus on what Your will is for my life. I am seeking Your guidance, direction, and focus. I pray that by grace I would walk in Your spirit and truth, doing those things that are pleasing in Your sight.

Help me to live into Your will and to be shown clearly the way that You would have me go. Give me a correct focus on the direction that You would have me take, and help me to plainly see what You have planned for my life. Remove from my heart carnal desires and selfish motives, and keep me far away from seeking after the things of the world, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

Help me to follow the path of faith and the road of righteousness, and not be diverted into the way of fear or overshadowed by doubts. Help me to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, so that I might be able to resist evil and do good, to Your praise and glory. I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

About the Author

Rev. Nicholas S. Richards is an ordained minister, author of Destiny DNA, and founder of ROHO. For over 11 years, he has written more than 6,000 daily devotionals reaching believers worldwide. Learn more about Rev. Richards.