I planted a tree yesterday. As a matter of fact, I planted six trees. As I was planting these trees for my wife’s new “orchard” in our retirement home, I considered the apparent conflict in what I was doing.

You see, both my wife and I are entering retirement age, and as such, have passed the optimum timing for planting trees for our benefit. Typical thinking is that early in life, plant trees so we may benefit from them for the long term.

As I was planting, a passage came to mind that reminded me of the captives in Babylon.

Jeremiah 29:5-6 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

Of course this passage is typically speaking of the young captive in Babylon, teaching him to marry, have a family and to multiply, even to the point of having wee grandbabies! Establish a life in Babylon Jeremiah says, for despite the false prophets promise of an early return to the land of Israel, the Jewish captives were destined to be in the land of their captors for seven decades. As such, they were to plan long term! Build houses, plant gardens, and multiply.

To follow Jeremiah’s message of a long term settlement, the planting of gardens surely implies the establishment of orchards, trees that produce and take multiple years to establish and bear fruit.

Jeremiah told them to plant a tree!

Although we are not captives, the same thought continues with us, yet my wife and I are on the back side of life. Is there not an inconsistency with this effort? I loudly argue against this thinking, for though the Lord may come back at any moment, taking us home to be with Him, or that I may pass in my sleep, leaving behind this old world, I have chosen to be long term, and not be limited by short term thinking.

You see, Jeremiah told them to plant a tree!

I spent much of my early walk of faith only planning very short term, for we all supposedly knew we were not to be here much longer. All around me, I was being told – He will come at any moment! This teaching amongst believers that the time is short, that we are to simply maintain our positions, and that long term planning is unnecessary is identical to that which the the captives listened to in the early days of the captivity.

But Jeremiah told them to plant a tree!

It has been decades since I shook off this attitude of short term planning, of abandoning the responsibility of planning for my family for “the duration”. This new thinking of continuing on in His service, assuming a long term commitment continues in my latter days, for though the Lord may come back, He may delay His coming for centuries. We truly have no objective way to determine the future, despite all those who say otherwise!

He will determine the time of His return.

In the mean time, we are to be busy living for Him, having a hope filled faith in His guidance and grace, and making big plans that honor Him.

Go ahead my friend, plant a tree! Whatever season you find yourself in, “plant a tree” showing all that you have hope for great things from the Lord!

For He truly is good, and He is good all the time!

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