What do you see?

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“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.”

“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”
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 commande you. Do not be afraid of them, for whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”



The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”….

The almond tree is the first tree that begins to blossom in the land of Israel during the winter. These trees begin to bloom in about November-December and in about 8-9 months later in August they will be ripe for harvest. To say the least, it takes time to make almonds. The Hebrew word for almond tree relates to it being early, which the word for almond tree is sha-ked. Sha-ked means to be diligent, on time, to watch over diligently, and here the Lord uses the picture of an almond tree with Jeremiah to reinforce His faithfulness, His work within him that would take time. He is saying for I am sho-ked over my word to perform it. He’s using the same meaning for the word almond to describe what He is doing with His word—diligently watching over His word to perform it. It’s going to happen. Just as it takes time for the almond tree to be ripe, the Lord would work in him in his time and would be watching over him to see that His work would be done. In Jeremiah’s time, one starts to wonder if God’s word is going to hold. What about the people of Israel? Didn’t He say He will have an everlasting relationship with them, but soon they will be exiled? Is it all done? Is God done with Israel? That is how it often feels in our lives. We may wonder where God is, where Christ is! It’s been 2,000 years since He came and we grow impatient. But as Peter says, don’t think of God’s delay as slowness or slackness. Instead, He’s patient; He’s waiting for more people to be saved and bringing in more souls for the joyous salvation. He’s sho-ked, watching over His Word to perform it. The Lord is also working more in us. There are times that it may seem like the Lord isn’t working; that we’ve been left alone to ourselves to live out our lives for Him, but God promises to never leave or forsake us. He promises to watch over us, to be sho-ked that His word would be fulfilled in us. He is watching over His word to perform it. But it takes time. He’s diligent, watching over; He will bring it about. It may involve a 70-year exile, return, Hasmonean period, but finally God fulfilled His word in His time by sending His son. I know I often don’t feel like I’ve grown much in knowing the Lord and living my life for Him, but I have faith that the Lord is truly working in me. I trust that His Spirit is within me working out my heart in His time. The only thing we can keep doing is growing closer to Him –being in His word, fellowshipping with Him through prayer; living our all for Him. He’ll work out the rest within our hearts and be watching that His word is fulfilled in our lives.

Lord, help me to wait patiently for your word. To live my life fully for you. Put your words in my mouth, Lord. Write your statues on my heart; so that I might be able to recall what you ask of me, what you command my life to look like. Make it known to me that you truly are watching, Lord. Become even more real in my life in this land. I thank you Lord for allowing your Spirit to work in me, for sending your Son in this land that I may be fully restored to you. Tend to my soul that longs for you and aid me to do your work in this land and for the rest of my life that I’ll be spending with you. Hodu l’adonai ki tov….

In the name of Yeshua.