“‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’” (Jeremiah 32:14–15, ESV)
Have you ever wondered, when will everything get better? I have. Sometimes it seems that the bottom has dropped out, when all your dreams seem to have gone up in flames. It can be something major or something small. It may be significant to you and seem insignificant to others. Yet to you it is a major setback.
I once worked as a church planter/pastor and started a church in Savannah Georgia. I poured my hart and energy into this work. I remember my first year’s salary was $100 per month. Most of the expenses I paid through my credit card. We had a great beginning and the little congregation grew to a decent level. The church was primarily comprised of college students. I had grandiose dreams for this little church and we did well. We were reaching college students with the gospel. Yet after four years we were forced to move from our location near the college campus. We attempted to revision the church and find an appropriate meeting place away from the college, to no avail. I ended up shutting down this little church. My dream was shattered.
Granted, I did make some mistakes as the church planter/pastor of this congregation. Yet the major issue was the relocation and an inability to bring the group along on a new vision in a new area.
I had no idea regarding what would come next. I took an interim pastorate in Savannah, and then the Lord led me to a church in Portsmouth New Hampshire. It was a church that had dwindled in size down to a handful of core people. They were in desperate shape. They informed me that they only had enough money to keep me on for six months. I was still wounded from my previous experience in Savannah. However, with trepidation I surrendered to the Lord’s call to this church fearing that I might have to close another church. I prayed, “Please Lord, I can’t handle having to close down another church.” Well, I was at that church for 10 years and watched as the Lord miraculously grew the church spiritually, numerically and financially.
What is the moral of this story? In Jeremiah’s day the Lord allowed the Babylonian army to attack Judah and destroy Jerusalem due to Israel’s apostasy and idolatry. The destruction was coming as was the deportation of a remnant of survivors to Babylon. The city was destroyed. It was in ruins. Yet it would not remain that way.
The Lord had Jeremiah give the nation an object lesson. The Lord had the prophet purchase a field at Anathoth from his cousin. He paid the price, signed and sealed the deed in the presence of witnesses. He then gave the deed to Baruch in the presence of his cousin, the witnesses, and all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. Jeremiah charged Baruch to put the sealed deed and the non-sealed copy in an earthen jar to preserve them for a long time. This was done as a sign that there was a time to come when once again houses and fields would be again bought in the land. The dream would remain alive.
Here’s the thing. God is in control. As believers, we have a big dream, that of a blessed time to come. For Judah, the Lord promised that the nation would return to their land in 70 years. They were given a dream of a better time. Yet, there would be an even greater dream, a time when the Lord would regather all the people of Israel to the land He gave them and they would live under a new everlasting covenant in peace, and prosperity.
Like Israel, we may have times when our dreams seem dashed, never to return. Yet the in the Lord, our dreams for a glorious future remain alive. Our present trials do have an end. We may realize the dream on the short-term, in this life. However, we have an even greater dream assured for us by the Lord. It is promised to us by Him. We can read of it in His word. It is the dream of a glorious future with Him according to the promise of His new covenant, the promise of eternal life with Him and the riches of His eternal kingdom.
Friends, whatever is going on in your life today or whatever may come, keep the dream alive in your heart.
Renewing the Heart 