When you are in these situations, the enemy loves to focus his "plowing" attack on the area of your life where you find the greatest support; and he will plow deep long furrows into you, leaving you vulnerable. The vulnerability created by the plowing is what the enemy counts on. He wants to engrave a big question mark of disappointment on your soul. The typical response to the trouncing is to shake it off, to deny it happened, to cover it up and to keep it hidden. The last thing we want people to see and to know is that we have been battered, bruised and beaten. The sad thing is sooner or later the exposed furrows of the enemy's plowing will be revealed, and truthfully, they are never discovered in a convenient season.
Normally the plowmen have a purpose when plowing, and that purpose is to prepare the field for planting. And you would think the enemy after plowing long furrows would plant also; for doesn't the enemy creep into the kingdom feilds of labor in the night to plant tares? Matthew 13:25 - “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.”
The enemy loves to plant tares (or fake wheat) when we go through all the blood,sweat and tears effort of plowing and preparing for a harvest of goodness, kindness and righteousness. This is one of vanguards of the enemies attacks to defeat us. Because of the tares growing among the wheat, in the kingdom there will always be those motivated to spend their efforts to prove who is real and who is fake (such a waste of energy). This Kingdom purging of tares is discouraged by the King so don't get caught up in it … just be real. Surely, the enemy does plant tares, but not when he plows.
Psalm 129:1 – “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:” But what about this plowing of the enemy … the enemy is hoping that you cover it up, and leave it seedless in the midst of your shame. vs.2 - “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me.” The enemy is hoping you will not talk “Now” about your affliction; and dare never to talk about it in the congregation, for the revelation of your affliction may start a mutual prevailing for your wounded brothers and sisters. The enemy doesn't want that type of chaim reaction. vs. 3 - “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” Your openness to the plowing may cause a quake of rebellion against the shame of so many still trying to rise up from the plowing and victory will rise out of your unplanted furrows. vs. 4 - “The Lord is righteous; he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.” Think of the ramifications of the praises of suffering saints, who find that they are no longer bound by the cords of shame. Jesus sets us free!
Your openness to allowing your brokenness to give wings to the praises of God literally will begin to have an amazing affect on the strongholds of the enemy. In the enemy's camp ... there will be
- a confounding and turning away of hateful purpose,
- a withering of oppressive vision,
- a lack of a source for unrighteous replenishing ,
- and an end to the coerced “blessings”of the wicked out the mouths of the defeated (Psalm 129:5-8).
Although the enemy is counting on our fear of transparency to defeat us (especially when we are down for the count), the shame of Cross is calling us to rise up and love others though we appear defeated. In the midst of the most shame-filled moment of our Saviour's life, He bore long deep furrows openly for all to see. God in the flesh … ripped and ravaged, ransacked and plundered, grievously taunted and slandered, cruelly masqueraded and mocked, openly and physically defeated; but even in that situation of destitution and abandonment ... He offered the sacrifice of His suffering as the highest Praise to honor His heavenly Father … “Into Thy hands, I commit my spirit.” All He asks in the midst of our moments of defeat is to raise up His cross in the midst of our shame, and join Him in the victory that overcomes the world.
HLFA,
Jeff