Build and Plant

Jesus’ Ministry
January 29, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’ –Jeremiah 1:9-10

My parents sold the farm and moved to town as they realize my Dad’s health was limiting his ability to work. They bought a nice small house in a residential area where houses were probably ten to fifteen feet apart. My Dad had never lived in such close quarters and was very uncomfortable with city living. He scouted around and found a place at the edge of town with a creek flowing across the road at the back of the house. It was on maybe a couple of acres of land. He bought it immediately. The only problem was it had not been lived in for years, was in horrible shape, and looked like a forest of weeds. They worked on it for a few months making it livable before they sold their other house and moved. If I remember correctly to start afresh, Dad mowed or cut down everything on the place except the trees. My mother, an avid gardener, knew every plant and how to care for them. She walked the mowed ground and discover various flowers and flowering bushes. Three of the trees were pecan trees. With the weeds removed the grass began to flourish. I will never forget my surprise when I drove up to visit them and seeing as I turn onto the long drive daffodils and irises lining the curve up to the garage. The beauty of the good earth was always there. It just was waiting for someone to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

As followers of Christ we are a part of a group called to do the same work to our nations and kingdoms. Find and nourish the good and beautiful, clean out whatever is holding it back, and create a world ruled by love rather than hate or fear or greed. What looks impossible to many is fertile land to others when their eyes have been opened by the hand of God.

Prayer: Lord, help us see the potential for good in our world and to work toward bringing it to fruition. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.