I will build them, I will plant them

I will build them, I will plant them

Scripture:- For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart Jeremiah 24:6-7

Observation:- It is God’s natural desire to bless, to do good to His creation, to let them live peacefully and enjoy their lives. Our Lord Jesus said that God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. In all creation, we can see the inherent goodness of God. Even in the seasons, summer and winter, spring and autumn, we see the faithfulness and goodness of God.

Prophesying of the future, the Lord tells the people through Jeremiah of a time when His eyes will only be upon them for good, when they will be built up and planted in the land. In the Psalms, it is written that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain, and unless the Lord stands guard over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Our bodies are said to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, and as the Spirit dwells in us, our spirit man is built up strongly in the Lord. In every congregation of believers, small or big, it is also the Lord who builds up and strengthens the church.

Another picture painted here is the Lord planting his people. In Isaiah 61, it is prophesied of our Lord Jesus that the Spirit of the Lord will anoint him to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to set the captives free, and they will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. In Psalm 1, also, we see the picture of the man who loves God Word being like a tree planted by streams of living water.

The Lord builds us that we may become strong, and plants us where we might receive living water and nourishment.

And the Lord goes on to say that He will give His people a new heart so that they may know Him. To know God is our primary purpose in life. It’s so important for us to set our hearts to know God and He will reveal Himself to us through His Holy Spirit. In the end, we are destined to be with God, living together with Him – God as our God, and we are His people.

Application:- Open our eyes and see that God is building us strong and faithful in Christ, and He is planting, setting us near His living Word which gives us life and nourishment. Desire in our hearts to know God more and ask God to reveal more of Himself to us. Look forward to the day when we will dwell with God and with Jesus forever.

Prayer:- O Lord, continue the good work you have started in me. Build me, plant me in Your great love and wisdom. O Lord Jesus, I desire to know You more. Show more and more of Yourself to me I pray. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.