Additional Thought

The Bible often uses symbols about farming to explain our spiritual growth. Hosea 10:12 📖 shows us an example of a farming symbol. This symbol explains what we learned this week:

“Be like [the same as] a farmer who plants good seed. Plant things that are good and right. Then your harvest [crops the farmer picks at the end of the growing season] will be [the same as] faithful [dependable] love. Plough [plow] the hard ground and prepare it [get it ready] for the Lord to bless you. It is time for you to turn back to the Lord. Then he will bless you with good things, like rain that falls on the ground!” (EASY).

A farmer breaks the ground, plants, and picks crops. In the same way, we must get the ‘dirt’ of our hearts ready for the Spirit to fall on us, the same as rain. God helps get our hearts ready. But a relationship with God is a partnership (read Philippians 2:12, 13 📖 ). So, we must come to God. We must hold on tight to Him. He will do the rest.

What does it mean to hold on tight to God? The Bible explains this idea: “You saw for yourselves what the Lord your God did at Baal-Peor. He killed every person among you who worshipped Baal there. But each of you who continued to trust the Lord your God is still [continues to be] alive today” ( Deuteronomy 4:3, 4 📖 , EASY).

Discussion Questions:

“Do not let us agree to do wrong things. Keep us safe from Satan” ( Matthew 6:13 📖 , EASY). Jesus taught His followers to pray this way. But do we do it? How often do you ask God to protect you from sin and Satan?

How do we put on Jesus’ perfect life of obedience, the same as clothes? How would you explain this idea to a non-Christian and a new Christian?

How does putting on Jesus’ perfect life of obedience, the same as clothes, help you to understand how God forgives us? How does this symbol help us to understand Jesus’ work in ­heaven for us right now? How well do you understand the beauty of this Bible truth?