My title for this devotion is Growth vs Stagnation.

One of the challenges every Christ-follower faces is the one of growth. Will I or won’t I? Will I stay the same or expand?  Will I be content (in a bad way) or will I desire more? Will I be like a tree planted by the water or will I dry up from lack of nourishment?

Two Scriptures spoke volumes to me this morning. The first is Hosea 10:12- “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.”

The other is Psalm 1:2-3- “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither.”

Growth is expected. While we need to be content in God, we also need to remember that contentment does not mean stagnation. Hosea says we need to break up the fallow ground-ground that has become crusty and hard over the winter and needs plowed and turned. That can happen to my heart and my heart needs plowed to break up that crust. Then I need to make sure I’m planted by streams of water, gathering and absorbing nourishment essential to my growth and fruitfulness.

“Father, stagnation is not on the docket. Contentment for that purpose is not to be on my plate. Help me to continually be on-the-grow. Help me to remember that when growth stops, decay begins.”