The God Who Builds and Plants
In my personal devotions, I have been working my way through the Old Testament, and recently I reached the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. His ministry was rough. He was called to prophesy to the southern kingdom of Judah at the end of its reign before God exiled them to Babylon, and his ministry was anything but outwardly fruitful. He was mocked, belittled, slandered, and had his life threatened on multiple occasions—simply for speaking God’s truth to the leaders and priests.
All of these things were running through my mind as I began reading Jeremiah. But as I started chapter 1, I was reminded of God’s description of what Jeremiah’s ministry would look like. In Jeremiah 1:10, God says to Jeremiah:
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
While this was God’s specific call to Jeremiah’s ministry to disobedient Judah, it made me think about how God sometimes works in our lives. Sometimes, in order for God to shape us into the likeness of Christ, he first has to remove some things from our lives. And in doing so, we may go through difficult or painful seasons.
In my human nature, when faced with hardship, I often ask the question, “Why? Why is this happening to me?” I want to understand the purpose behind the trial. But as I read about Jeremiah’s ministry, I’m reminded that perhaps God is doing in my life what he called Jeremiah to do. Is it possible that God is plucking up and breaking down, destroying and overthrowing, something in my life so that he can then build and plant?
Scripture often uses the image of refining—God refining his people as a metalsmith refines silver or gold. The purpose is to purify the metal before shaping it into something beautiful. The psalmists and prophets describe God in this way, refining us for his purposes. But the refining process requires fire. To refine silver or gold, it must be held over intense heat to burn away the impurities. Only then can it be pure enough to work with.
So, are you going through something right now? As we face trials and hardships, let’s trust in God’s purpose. We may be in the fire, but he is watching and waiting for the right moment to bring us out—once we have been refined—because ultimately his desire is to build and to plant.
All of these things were running through my mind as I began reading Jeremiah. But as I started chapter 1, I was reminded of God’s description of what Jeremiah’s ministry would look like. In Jeremiah 1:10, God says to Jeremiah:
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
While this was God’s specific call to Jeremiah’s ministry to disobedient Judah, it made me think about how God sometimes works in our lives. Sometimes, in order for God to shape us into the likeness of Christ, he first has to remove some things from our lives. And in doing so, we may go through difficult or painful seasons.
In my human nature, when faced with hardship, I often ask the question, “Why? Why is this happening to me?” I want to understand the purpose behind the trial. But as I read about Jeremiah’s ministry, I’m reminded that perhaps God is doing in my life what he called Jeremiah to do. Is it possible that God is plucking up and breaking down, destroying and overthrowing, something in my life so that he can then build and plant?
Scripture often uses the image of refining—God refining his people as a metalsmith refines silver or gold. The purpose is to purify the metal before shaping it into something beautiful. The psalmists and prophets describe God in this way, refining us for his purposes. But the refining process requires fire. To refine silver or gold, it must be held over intense heat to burn away the impurities. Only then can it be pure enough to work with.
So, are you going through something right now? As we face trials and hardships, let’s trust in God’s purpose. We may be in the fire, but he is watching and waiting for the right moment to bring us out—once we have been refined—because ultimately his desire is to build and to plant.
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