“Jeremiah Buys a Field.” The header for Jeremiah chapter 32 in my bible caught my attention. “Why did he buy a field,” I thought to myself. So I reread the story and it deeply encouraged me.
The short version is this: While jailed in the courtyard of the palace Jeremiah hears God tell him to buy a specific field from his cousin. Then that very cousin shows up, offering to sell the field! I don’t know about you, but that would be some confirmation for me!
What was God up to with this land transaction? And how often do we go through seemingly “everyday” transactions of all types without ever stopping to ask, “is God in this? Is He up to something?”
In this case, God was foreshadowing the redemption of His people – not just in the short term as the nation of Israel but in the ultimate sense. He says a little later, “Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, It is a desolate waste, without men or animals….I will restore their fortunes.’”
At the end of the story we get the beautiful promise of the Messiah:
“I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
He will do what is just and right in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteousness”
In what ways might the seemingly “normal” or even “out of left field” events of your life recently be gifts of God, pointing you to see great truths of coming redemption? Are you looking at your daily life through the lens of Jesus and the ongoing work of a living God? We should be journaling our prayers and what we think we hear from God, and referring back to it. I’ve had my faith built so much by this simple practice of seeing God answer prayers and work things out.
Today, step back for a minute. Write down some events of the past year that stand out to you. See if any patterns emerge and pray, asking the Spirit to illuminate God’s loving story that is unfolding in your life. It’s there. Sometimes we just have to see it in the simplest of ways.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Joel
Joel Searby
