Plowed, Circumcised Hearts

Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

“…Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem…”

Jeremiah 4:3, 4

What does it mean to “break up” the unplowed ground of our hearts and lives?

We use shovels, hoes, or plows to do that kind of “breaking up” work. God uses his Spirit and his Word to soften and convict our hearts of sin and “hard places”. God uses repentance in our lives to “turn over” the soil of our hearts. Our free will must cooperate with the conviction of God’s Spirit for a turning over to occur. Circumcision was the sign of the first covenant with Abraham. God cut the symbol, or source, from which new life came, to signify that life now comes from him, and not our own selfish pleasures and lusts. To circumcise our hearts is to say the same thing. Our life comes from God. He is our primary focus of affection. Our surrendered, plowed, repentant hearts belong to him. His Word is planted like seed in soft, surrendered ground to produce spiritual fruit for his glory.

“Lord Jesus, I repent of pride, rebellion, and independence. I pray that you would convict me of sin and break up every hard place in my heart.”