A land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. – Deuteronomy 11:12, Amplified Bible (AMP)

In Deuteronomy 11, God compares and contrasts the dry, life-sucking land of Egypt to the well-watered, lush hills and valleys of the Promised Land. What was the difference between the desert of Egypt and the paradise of Canaan? God was. The glory of Egypt resulted from the labor of man (verse 10). In contrast, the glory of Canaan resulted from the labor of God (verse 12). Tended to year round by the loving, careful hand of the Creator, the Promised Land yielded beauty and fruits of the greatest sort, making it tremendously desirable in every way imaginable.

Just like God is the difference between barren land and lush land, God is the difference between a barren life and a lush one. If you want your life to yield beauty and fruits of the greatest sort – if you want your life to be tremendously desirable in every way imaginable – then you have to let God tend to your soul all the year long. Follow His lead. Yield to His authority. Allow Him to water and till the ground of your heart. If you do, you’ll experience the promised land of inner peace and tranquility, no matter what your outward circumstances might be. If you don’t – if you decide to till your own soul and water it with the labor of your own feet – then you can expect the barrenness and heavy toil of Egypt to characterize your life. The choice is yours, and the choice is simple: you farm your life your way, or you let God farm it His way.

What will it be? Egypt, or the Promised Land?