JEREMIAH 29:4-5 This is what the LORD ALMIGHTY, the GOD of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build house and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” [New International translation]
Summary
Some refer to the Bible as our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (B.I.B.L.E). Nowhere is this clearer than in Jeremiah’s 29th chapter, “A Letter to the Exiles.”
Jeremiah was the son of a priest. He prophesized about the destruction of Jerusalem and the hardships the Jewish people would suffer because of their flagrant unfaithfulness to GOD. The Jewish people had entered into covenant relationship with GOD but had broken their word to GOD again and again and again. They had built altars to and worshipped other gods. They had even gone so far as to sacrifice their own children to idols. The people’s actions were so defiant that GOD withdrew HIMSELF, HIS protection and HIS blessings. As a result, the Israelites were defeated by their enemies and many of them ended up in under foreign rule.
Jeremiah chapter 29 contains the text of a letter that Jeremiah sent to the exiles who had been deported from Jerusalem to Babylon, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The letter contained a message from GOD. The message was a recipe for survival. GOD tells the people that their stay in Babylon will not be short. Most of them would be in exile for a lifetime—seventy years (Verse 10).
To make it through the years ahead, GOD gives the people some instructions for surviving in captivity or what to the Israelites was a hostile environment. . HE tells them to “settle down,” “build houses,” “plant gardens” and “eat what the gardens produce,” marry, multiply there, increase and not decrease. HE tells them to pray and seek the welfare of the city in which they live because its welfare is now tied to theirs (Verse 7). GOD tells them that HE still has a plan for them (verse 11), but the people would have to seek and wait on the LORD. HE cautions them not to listen to false prophets, peddling invented “dreams” and making all sorts of claims about greatness, because they are just lies. Instead, they must work hard and have faith in GOD. If the people seek the LORD in earnest, HE promised that they will find HIM. GOD still had a plan for them.
Plant Gardens
March 20th was the first day of Spring. It was the time of the equinox. The word “equinox” is derived from two Latin words “aequus” (equal) and “nox” (night). It is the time when day and night are at equal length.
It is now April and the soil is starting to warm. It is a perfect time to think about planting a garden. Gardening has a number of benefits, including the following:
- Gardening provides healthier, more nutritious, fresh food;
- Gardening can teach us many things about food and nutrition;
- Gardening promotes physical and mental health; and
- Gardening can be a way of giving back—to friends, family, and neighbors, especially those who may be housebound or homeless and in need.
Container Gardening
Container gardening is a simple way to keep gardening simple. Spending a few minutes each day tending to a few container plants offers a way to “settle down” after a fast paced day at the of-fice, at school or multitasking during the day. It offers a way to “reconnect” to the soil, to be mindful of GOD’s often, unappreciated gifts of sunshine, air, rain, water and plant life.
Plants that grow well in containers include:
- Tomatoes – which come in numerous varieties including: Heirloom, Cherry Tomatoes, Better Girl, Roma, Supersweet 100, Yellow Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Bran-dywine, Antique Roman, Rutgers, Sun Gold and others.
- Potatoes- also come in a number of varieties. Often you can just buy a few potatoes from a store, wait for some of the eyes to appear, and then plant the eyes in soil.
- Green Been/ Runner Beans- According to one writer, green beans are good container plants because they benefit from the warmth and protection of the container.
- Peppers- One writer described peppers as “a breeze to grow.” Another writer noted that peppers in pots can often serve as decorations on a patio or balcony. Another writer stated that growing peppers is just fun and a great cooking ingredient.
- Strawberries- They actually make special pots for growing strawberries. They are call them strawberry pots. They also provide a lovely potted decoration as well as a great desert, a sweet healthy snack or salad addition once the strawberries start to ripen.
- Blueberries-Growing your own blueberries is a great way to save, especially given the typical high price of a small container of organic blueberries at your local market. One writer noted that blueberries are ideal for growing in pots, given their shallow root system. Blueberries typically require special soil with a low, acid pH. You may want to go to your local garden store and ask about the varieties of blueberry bushes sold, because some varieties are self-pollinating and some are not.
You can make container gardening is a family “sport.” Everyone can participate.
It is also fun to watch seed grown from a small seed, into a seed with roots and later a small tree. Apple, orange, lemon, pear or other fruit seeds can be wrapped in a paper towel, placed in a con-tainer with water in a sunny area and will sprout roots in a few weeks. Although it may take years for the seeds to grow into healthy fruit bearing trees, it is fun for kids and adults to watch their little seeds grow. Gardening is a great way to strengthen the family and your family’s diet.
THE WORD OF GOD---Still GOOD For Surviving In Tough Times
GOD’s instructions to the exiles living in Babylonian captivity are still as relevant now as they were then.
Some hardships simply do not end quickly. For example, trillions of dollars in deficits (in our cities and nation) will simply not disappear overnight. There is no magic pill for getting or staying physically fit. Some things may take time and continued prayer.
The WORD of GOD is still our source of guidance and spiritual strength. And, to survive, we still need to take care of home (your personal home, your church home, where you worship GOD, etc.). Planting gardens and being mindful how GOD provides is still an important lesson. We often forget that GOD is still providing the food on our tables, even when we purchase the food from a grocery store or even when we don’t have to pick or harvest the food ourselves.
And we still have to be concerned about what is happening in your city, your nation and your world. We still have to vote. We must still participate in government and hold ourselves and our elected officials accountable. We cannot afford to remain silent or indifferent to injustice. And we must remember that the welfare of our cities and those living on those city streets is tied to our own wellbeing. Like JESUS, our concern must not be about “greatness” or determining who is “the greatest,” but we must have a heart for “the least” among us. (See, Matthew 25:40 and Luke 22: 24-27). Our spiritual “model” is service, not greatness.
And, during times of hardship, we still must seek and wait on the LORD. For those who earnestly seek HIM, they will find HIM. GOD still has a plan your life!
So be a survivor. Plant, pray, build, serve and flourish.
“Eat GOD’s WORD” and BE BLESSED!
