Year of Exposure Day 17: The planting of the Lord survives the purge.

Year “Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.”

Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬-‭13 ESV‬‬

The prophet Isaiah prophetically spoke a passage the Lord Himself would read when He visited his hometown of Nazareth (see Luke 4:18&19).

Let’s consider this portion of that passage from Isaiah:

“to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Notice, the Lord speaks of His people as “the planting of the Lord.”

So, should we suppose that if the Lord has planted something—in this case Israel—that it will remain, no matter what it does?

Well, considering that narrative, the Lord speaks something very enigmatic to Jeremiah:

“Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭45‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What are we to suppose? Does the Lord watch over and keep what He has planted, or not?

The book of psalms begins with a wonderful passage referencing the stability of the righteous, while at the same time, indicating the bad fate of the wicked.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So, how does one who was planted by the water, how does one who was the planting of the Lord, end up being cast out or cast off? In fact, Jesus gave a parable explaining just this question.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There it is: Those who don’t REMAIN in Him are REMOVED.

Let’s take a second look at yesterday’s opening scripture by employing part of it as today’s opening scripture. We see here that Jesus speaks the very truth He illuminates in the above parable.

Child of God, let’s remain in Him. By so doing, we remain as the planting of the Lord, and need not fear being cast off.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!