He Tears Down and Builds Up

This is the devotion I gave for chapel at Shoreland Lutheran High School on February 3.

Jeremiah 1:4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." 6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." 7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

It is impossible to escape the pictures and videos of the horrors of Haiti. Almost a month ago, the small, overcrowded island of Haiti was shaken to its core with a 7.1 earthquake. Reports claimed that 20,000 commercial buildings and 225,000 residences had collapsed or were severely damaged. But more importantly, nearly 170,000 bodies had been counted dead.

There is heartbreak everywhere with frightened and injured children, broken bodies and piled corpses. Destruction and death are everywhere.

What good could possibly come from this natural disaster? God says that sometimes He needs to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow before He can rebuild and plant anew. Haiti was a virtually ignored country, but now it is in the cross-hairs of relief agencies of every kind from around the globe. God is mobilizing His creation in the support and aid of His broken and wounded creation.

Quite possibly God is tearing down a third-world country – tearing it down to its core, so that He can rebuild it. Possibly He is going to give Haiti what it never had before – paved roads, running water, sewage lines, steady electricity, solid structures to live in, functional law enforcement and so on. But hopefully, God is pouring His saving Kingdom into the hearts and souls of people who had been destined to hell. The Gospel will rebuild hearts broken with mourning. The Savior will come to a people who had no hope. The God of all love is coming through the outpouring of His people in the form of medicines, doctors, aid workers, but especially Christian missionaries and lay people who not only speak with their actions but also with their mouths.

Sometimes God must tear down in order to rebuild. The prophet Jeremiah knew what it was like to be torn down. During his ministry as a prophet of the Lord, Jeremiah was tossed into a cistern and left to die. Another time the king took the scroll on which Jeremiah had written the words which God had given him, and the king cut up the scroll and burned it. Like rescue workers seeing the aftermath of the destruction of Haiti, Jeremiah witnessed the Babylonians completely destroy the city of Jerusalem and level God’s temple. Then Jeremiah was forced to trudge off to Egypt along with some other exiles.

So what did God say to prepare Jeremiah for this tearing down? He said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” He added, “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” God assured Jeremiah that He had always known Jeremiah, had even known him for Jeremiah was conceived. He knew exactly what Jeremiah would be like, knew exactly how Jeremiah’s life would go.

Which meant what? It meant that when God formed Jeremiah, He put into him exactly the strengths, the preaching abilities, the teaching talents – and the weaknesses – which Jeremiah needed in order to handle the sometimes destructive and disheartening portions of his life.

Just as God knew Jeremiah, so God has also known you since before you were conceived. He might destroy your self-important ego so He can erect a humble Christian character. He knew how your knee might be torn up during your senior basketball season, but that He would build up your character to persevere. He knew how your family might be ripped apart by your parents’ divorce, but that He would sew you together with His love so that you will be able to persist in every difficulty that will eventually threaten your marriage. He knew how your faith would be shaken by a classmate’s call to heaven, but that He would rebuild your faith upon His glorious resurrection promise.

God tears down with His Law, His justice, and His allowance of difficult circumstances in life. But God rebuilds with His Gospel, His love, and His abounding grace and supporting strength. He builds upon the solid foundation of His Son and He rebuilds using you and I as His living stones. He tears out the weeds of selfishness and self-pity, greed and gossip, hate and envy and He plants in you the fruit of His Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

God knows you and He knows what you need. God knows that sometimes He must tear down in order to rebuild, uproot so He can plant. He is doing that with the nation of Haiti. He did it with Jeremiah. And He does it with you. God knows exactly what He is doing – tearing down and rebuilding. All by His grace and for His glory. Amen.