Mensa Otabil - Planted by the Lord
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Jeremiah chapter 32 verse 41: Yes, I rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and with all my soul. Those are the words of the Lord to His people when He talks about their return from exile. At this time, Jeremiah the prophet is speaking about the future of Israel after they go into captivity. He speaks the word of the Lord, and these words are very strong and very assuring words from the Lord.
There are three phrases that I want you to pay attention to from this word from the Lord. First, God says, «I will rejoice over them.» I will rejoice over them. That’s a very strong assurance. There is a time when God rejoices over us. You know, many times people think that our lives are so rotten that God has no pleasure in us, that God is not interested in us, that God only wants to punish us. But here He tells His people, «I will rejoice over them.» God takes pleasure in doing things for us; He takes pleasure in blessing you. You have to be assured that God rejoices over you if you are His child.
The second thing that He says is, " I will do them good.» It’s a promise from God: I will do good things for them. Many times in a Christian life, we are made to feel as if God is just up there in heaven, watching over us, seeking to hit us on the head with a big stick because we disobeyed Him, bringing calamity our way, destroying our lives, disrupting everything around us. But that’s not the full picture of God. Yes, God is a God of judgment in some circumstances, but the broad picture of God is that He does good. God is good, and He says, «I will do good to them.» It’s a joyful desire of the Lord. He doesn’t do it reluctantly; He takes pleasure in doing good things for us. So, I believe that as we trust the Lord, He rejoices over us. Not only does He rejoice over us, but God seeks to do you good. You have to believe it; you have to trust that God wants to do good things for you.
The third thing God says is, " I will plant them.» Not only will He do good things for you, but He says, «I will plant you.» In other words, I will establish you. When a person is not planted, they keep moving from one place to another. They are unsettled; they are uncertain. There’s no security, but God is interested in planting you in safety, in bringing security to your life, and in helping you to have a place that you can call your own. So consider these words of the Lord as for you today: I will rejoice over you, I will do you good, and I will plant you.
He says all of these things in the most profound way. At the end of the verse, He says, «with all my heart and with all my soul.» Can you imagine God saying all these things? I want to do for you. I’m going to do it with full intention, with full power, with all my heart. So God is not half-hearted about rejoicing over you; He’s not half-hearted about doing you good, and He’s not half-hearted about planting you. He does it with the fullness of His being. His being backs up His word and His promises. So I just want to assure you, no matter what season you are in in life, God wants to rejoice over you, He wants to do good for you, and He wants to plant you, and He’s going to do it enthusiastically and with everything that is part of His being.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, let me experience Your goodness. Plant me in the center of Your will. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»