“Sow with a view to righteousness,
 Reap in accordance with kindness;
 Break up your fallow ground, 
 For it is time to seek the LORD
 Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”  Hosea 10:12

What a wonderful verse of Scripture this is.  In farming, with the unseen hope of the harvest, comes the preparation of the ground, the sowing of the seed and the tending of the field; this is all before the reaping.  Scripture reveals that there is a time of preparation (sowing) before the blessing (reaping) as well.  Let’s look at some preparation before blessing verses.

We see that there is:
No water for the army until the ditches are dug:
“And he (Elisha) said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’  For thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.”  2 Kings 3:16-17 

No oil until the vessels are gathered:
“Then he said, ‘Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors--empty vessels; do not gather just a few.  And when  you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones…Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’  And he said there is not another.  So the oil ceased.”  
2 Kings 4:3-4 & 6
[Read the whole account, Vs. 1-7, to see her need (funds), preparation (gathering vessels) and blessing (more than enough).]

No healing until the leper had dipped seven times:
“An Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you and you shall be clean.”
2 Kings 5:10  (Read the miracle of Naaman’s healing  Vs 1-15)

In our opening verse we see that there is No Harvest until the ground is broken up.

No Reconciliation without repentance:
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so   that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”  
Acts 3:19

No Vision without obedience:
“…He (Jesus) spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”  John 9:6-7

Our opening verse tells us to sow with a view to righteousness and reap mercy.
Proverb 11:18-19 says,
“The wicked man does deceptive work,
 But to him who sows righteousness will be a sure reward.
 As righteousness leads to life,
 So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.”

“In the way of righteousness is life,
 And in it’s pathway there is no death.”  Proverbs 12:28

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”  Galatians 6:7-8

Therefore, seek the Lord and He will rain down His righteousness upon hearts that yield to Him.  Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 9:10,
“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

I close with Philippians 1:11 in the Amplified Bible,
“May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized.]” 
Amen