61. GOD – MASTER BUILDER AND EXPERT PLANTER

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The Lord specializes in fixing or causing to be fixed, that which was broken, repairing breaches, reconstructing and rebuilding lives, no matter how bad and sinful one’s past. He has the ability to plant that which thrives and brings forth abundantly, in the most unlikely of places, places known for sterility and barrenness.

As an excellent Masterbuilder, no project is too difficult or too dilapidated for him to step in and to cause to be rebuilt into something beautiful. As an expert Farmer, he also has the power and know-how, to transform the wilderness of any life and to convert that which is considered desolate, sterile, dry and unfertile, into a garden that so flourishes, that one can reap a harvest.

The Lord is able to do this in the life of any person, without exception, hence the reason that he sends forth an invitation to all, that whosever will, may come. He is able to build magnificence and to plant a flourishing garden in the life of a sinner, once he surrenders to the Lordship of Jesus Christ by believing on him and his resurrection in his heart, confessing with his mouth that he is Lord and admitting in humility to the Lord, that he is a wretched sinner in need of the Lord’s salvation and repenting or being sorry for his sinful and rebellious ways. The Lord also extends grace to the repenting believer, who, although he has received salvation by faith was rebellious and wayward, like the Prodigal son, and by reason of his sin and disobedience, finds himself in a place of brokenness, dilapidation, dryness and sterility.

We have evidence that God is able to do this, from his Word, the Bible. We have evidence that, even when all seems lost, that he is able to step in and bring hope, by repairing breaches which seemed irreparable and planting and causing to thrive, where it was considered impossible.

In Ezekiel 36: 8-11;29-30; 34-36, God, in reference to his people the Israelites, who, by reason of their sins, had shamefully found themselves both spiritually and physically, in a place of dryness and dilapidation, declared:

“But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord…I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen…And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I THE LORD BUILD THE RUINED PLACES, AND PLANT THAT THAT WAS DESOLATE: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it”.

In Isaiah 61:1-4, the Lord declared through the Prophet:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; THAT THEY MIGHT BE CALLED TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

In Isaiah 41:17-20, the Lord also stated:

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I WILL PLANT IN THE WILDERNESS THE CEDAR, THE SHITTAH TREE, AND THE MYRTLE, AND THE OIL TREE; I WILL SET IN THE DESERT THE FIR TREE, AND THE PINE, AND THE BOX TREE TOGETHER: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

In Isaiah 60:10-11; 13, 15, 17-18, 21, the Lord stated through the Prophet:

“And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night…The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious…Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations…For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise…Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, THE BRANCH OF MY PLANTING, THE WORK OF MY HANDS, that I may be glorified.”

In all of the examples looked at above of what the Lord faithfully promised to do for his people and will therefore one day faithfully perform, he did it for the promotion of HIS glory. He did it so that those looking on and observing, particularly the heathen (the ungodly, unbeliever) would KNOW for a certainty that it was the Lord that intervened and did it, that HE ALONE had the power to effect such a transformation, that he is all-powerful and therefore, that nothing is too hard for him. As such, a beautiful testimony would be extracted which redounds to his honour and glory.

As a Christian that has messed up at times in life, by disobeying God’s will and way, I have repented before him and have been trusting that in his mercy, he will rebuild my life according to his divine dimensions and plant whatever he wants to plant, to his honour and glory. I am hoping to have that testimony, which the world and no one will be able to deny, that it was the Lord that did it, that it was not by my power or my might or that of anybody else’s but his Spirit, that change was wrought. If the Lord should ever decide to intervene in answer to my prayers, I want it to be known and heralded, that it was the Lord that changed my story, by grace imbuing healing, hope, health and happiness, where there was once rightfully earned sterility, sorrow, shame and sadness.

(Written on 27th December, 2023)