When Do You Start to Plow?

Welcome to today's episode of Reflective Hour. I'm Tammy Toney-Butler, Host and Healing Evangelist. We all know who the host of this show is though, and that's Christ by way of his Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, the spirit that lives within us and guides us and strengthens us, sustains us, redeems us and restores us. Jesus, the spirit of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

Oh, come have your way. May they hear you and not me, see you and not me. May this word penetrate bone and marrow

and be forever planted in their heart of truth as it's written on the tablet of their heart to redeem to restore to set free in the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Today's message teaching episode is about when do you start to plow?

Many of you have overgrown fields in your life. You don't know where to start.

You don't know how to push through those obstructions.

and push into who God's called you to be

because there's overgrowth in certain areas of your life and you don't know when to start plowing.

You don't know when to start tearing down those obstructions or even how. You don't know exactly what to do, where to turn, where to go.

The field is so overgrown, you can't see into it. You can't see to the right or left of it. And you don't know what's standing in the way of your plow.

Will your plow get damaged?

Will you get broken as you start to plow? Will you cut yourself?

Maybe there's something in the weeds

that would cause you to break open and bleed. or expose those raw wounds

to more hurt, brokenness, pain. But I say to you, you have to start somewhere. So when and where do you start to plow? Who's your helper? Who helps you plow that field?

How do you even start? Well, you start by faith. You can't see to the end of the field. You can't even say a way to start. You You don't even know where to put the blade of your plow, of your mower.

But you do it in faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. So even if you can't see the end of that field, even if you can't see your way past that obstruction, past that negative circumstance in your life, that mountain, that mountain of death, that mountain of heartache, that mountain of hurt, you just start. You just start. God will see you through. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will tell you, "Turn to the right. Turn to the left or just stay straight with your eyes fixed to true north. He'll show you the way. He'll guide your every step. But you must start stepping. You must put your foot on the gas and go into that overgrown field, into the unknown, into the unseen.

and dive so deep in

you may not even be able to see your way

past the few steps that you started to plow. But one day you'll break through and you'll break into all he's called you to be. And you'll know exactly

which way to go because you're walking by faith and not by sight. His spirit of truth is guiding you. There won't even need to be any words. The more you walk with him, he'll become silent in your storms of life because he wants you to know that you know that you know he's guiding you. And so you step out in trust. You step out in faith. You begin to plow. You begin to pluck. You begin to prune or you get pruned. But through all of it, you keep your eyes fixed on what lies ahead. Never looking back,

but focused on clearing the path in front of you. One step of faith at a time. So, you get out that lawnmower, you get out that tractor, you put your foot on the gas, and you start to mow or you start to plow. Trust he's with you, guiding you,

protecting you, for he protects his sheep. He's a good shepherd. And let's look at what it says. Let's look at what it says in Luke 9:62.

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." In the kingdom of God. So what does Jesus want from us? us that total dedication to be allin. We can't pick and choose among Jesus's ideas and follow him selectively. We have to accept the cross along with the crown, judgment as well as mercy. We must count the cost and be willing to abandon everything else that has given us security with our focus on Jesus. With our focus straight ahead, with our focus on due north, with our focus on the field of overgrowth in front of us, knowing that he will see us through, that faith will help us know when and where and how to plow.

Nothing nothing should distract us from the manner of living that calls or that he calls good and true and pure and noble and noble and noble and noble. When we look at the agricultural tool of a plow, it's used to illustrate the need for complete focus and intention when following Jesus. Looking back represents being distracted or divided in one's commitment. We cannot be divided for a house divided cannot stand and we cannot look back. We must walk by faith and not by sight and go into the field of the unknown. Even if it's overgrown, even if it's full of obstructions,

we have the ultimate burden bearer. We are victorious in Christ Jesus. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We have all the power and authority to walk as he wants us to walk, to surrender to his lordship. Let him be Lord and Savior of our life. Come under his command. Follow his lead. Start to plow. It's time. It's time laborers to go out into the field of the unknown and to plow and to plow and to plow and to break away. Make a way where there's no way.

Bring the harvest in. It's time. It's time to bring the harvest in. It's time. Even if you don't know how, even if you don't have the resources, he's going to supply you the fuel you need, every tool you need when you need it. You just trust. You just trust. You start up that engine of faith and you go and you go and you go and you go and you blaze a trail through that overgrown field to where there's only dust coming up behind you or smoke from the fire of God that's in you moving you closer and closer and closer to the finish line of faith as you Step into all God's called you to be and step into his ordained purpose for your life. Plow plow plow plow. Go.

It's time. It's time. It's time. Glory be to Jesus. Glory be to Jesus. Glory be to Jesus. That's what he has for you today on this episode of Reflective Hour with Tammy Toney-Butler. Remember to like and subscribe. Follow us on our YouTube channels, Reflective Spaces Ministry Podcast. We just did a teaching on distractions. Make sure you you go back and listen to that. Share these episodes. Let folks know what God's trying to do in and through them. If they only yield, if they only surrender, if they only come under his lordship. It's time. It's time. It's time. Glory be to Jesus. Glory be to Jesus. Glory be to Jesus.