I am often blessed by devotionals produced by One For Israel. Their mission is to share the love of Jesus with Jews and Arabs alike…and anyone else willing to hear good news. This one, though, has caused me to ponder in extra measure and pray in a different way about Gaza.

Despite raw emotions regarding the brutal attacks of Hamas on October 7, are we ready to begin seeing Gaza in this way? Yes, Hamas must be destroyed, and Gaza must be cleansed of the evil filth left by sadistic animals. But longer term, are we able to trust God to do what only He can do? Read on, then determine how to answer that question!

ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry
To Plant, God Must First Plow
 
"Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, 'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.' The word of the LORD came to me saying, 'What do you see, Jeremiah?' And I said, 'I see a rod of a watchful tree.' Then the LORD said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it'" (Jer 1:9-12).

Looking at the images of devastation and destruction in Gaza, it is difficult to imagine in its place a prospering city teeming with Arabs who love the God of Israel and the Jewish people. But because Jeremiah's calling was not just to Israel, but also to "the nations and kingdoms," there are plenty of reasons to hope. God's end goal for Israel and the nations is "to build and to plant." But God never builds cities on foundations of terror, nor does he plant in fields filled with landmines. To build up, God must first tear down. To plant, God must first plow. But because of the certainty of God's promises, I am not only able to envision a renewed Gaza but also to ardently pray for it to happen speedily in my day because God always watches over his word to perform it.

"'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,' declares the LORD" (Jer 31:27-28).

"Now it will come about that In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples, and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift sword against nation, and never again will they learn war" (Isa 2:2-4).