Bible reading for 40.Day 2025 | Jeremiah 29:4-7

In Jeremiah 29:4-7, God gave clear instructions to the Israelites about how they should go about their lives during their time in exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

This set of instructions mirrors the God-given mandate to mankind in Genesis 1:28 where He blessed Adam and Eve to be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it.

In both instances, the family is the focal point and foundational to how the mandate of care and stewardship is to be lived out.

At that point in time, the Israelites in exile were probably grieving the loss of their city, Jerusalem. They carried broken dreams and felt displaced in a foreign land. We now know in hindsight that God was drawing His people closer to Him during the 70 years that they were in exile. This crisis of faith prepared them for the eventual renewal of the covenant and the repairing of walls for the city.

To this day, God continues to reveal His restorative power and redemptive plan for us through the process of “rupture, prepare, repair”. This may be taking place even in our homes.

Building a legacy

Perhaps, for some of us, not all is well within our family. It may sometimes feel far-fetched to believe in the beauty and goodness of God’s design for family. Allow this passage to bring you help and hope.

When God instructed the exiles to “build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce”, He was calling them towards a wholehearted commitment to be All In “for in the welfare of the city, they will find their welfare.”

Building houses is laborious and requires collective effort. It suggests a picture of everyone having a stake in amassing the resources to build together, for one another, family by family. Where one family lacks a certain resource to build, another family offers to supplement and uplift.

Planting gardens points towards cultivating an environment ripe for growth and harvest. In the context of family, this would mean putting in the time and emotional strength to consistently remove weeds by addressing conflicts constructively and regularly watering it with respect and appreciation.

At the same time, God reminds them that they are to steward these resources with generations in mind. By urging the exiles to increase in number and not decrease, God emphasised the importance of ensuring the future of family.

It is a call to impart a legacy of faith to our children and grandchildren. Over time, this way of life fosters interdependence among the families and a shared identity among His people.

Rupture, prepare, repair

When we experience ruptures, God calls us to be proactive – All In! We are to build and plant, we are to consider the generations as one people. It is through the process of building and planting that God is working on the condition of our hearts, He is preparing us for what’s ahead!

God’s instruction to the exiles continues:

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

The Hebrew word of “welfare” is shalom, a state of wholeness in God. We who are redeemed by the blood of Christ are entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation to seek the shalom of our city.

When we testify of how God repairs our broken beliefs about family and mends our hearts from strained family relationships, these are testimonies of God’s restorative power that brings shalom.

As God’s people, when we collectively support one another to build and strengthen the family, plant seeds of unchanging truth and cultivate an environment for undeniable faith moments in our young, we are fostering a culture that revels in the beauty of shalom.

May we be found faithful in doing so for the future of family and the welfare of our city.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to us through your Word. We are sorry for the times that we are distracted by worldly pursuits and have lost sight of the mandate to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. We are humbled that in Christ, despite the ruptures we experience here on earth, we get to experience Your power to repair our broken beliefs about family and mend our relationships. Help us to lead consecrated lives that build and plant with Your Kingdom and eternity in mind. We are All In – we want generations that come after us to walk in your ways and move in tandem with Your spirit. Help us Lord, we pray. Amen.

Reflect:

1. We may be in this world but not of it, but have we taken to heart God’s call to “build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce”? Reflect on your heart attitude about seeking the welfare of your land and your future generations.

2. Are there areas in your family that you feel are ruptured? Would you commit to build and plant and prepare for God to repair your family

3. What can we start doing in and through our family to contribute to the welfare of the land we live in that we are called to bless?

Pray:

1. That we will take God’s assignment seriously: To build houses and plant gardens in our families, so that we can contribute to the welfare of our land.

2. That we will not ignore the ruptures in our family relationships but work hard to rebuild, letting God repair and restore our families.

3. That we will build and plant with the Kingdom and eternity in mind, for this and future generations.

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