Family, Home, & Garden: Bible Verses

‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce.
‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear son and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.

‘And seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for a welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

‘And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.’

Jeremiah 29:5-7 & 11-13

I really loved picturing the living out of these verses. Families --- building up and making homes, planting gardens, bringing the bounty in for meals and really, the whole scene.

This made me think of my own home and garden and I wonder how I’m doing at building it up?

So often, we easily tear down what we have worked hard to create in our homes.
At least, I find this happening here.

Things like: Having a complaining spirit, being or sounding negative, and that emotion most of us detest and still fall into. . . anger. It seems I go for months drawing on the peace provided in God’s Word as I read it each and every morning before reading anything else.

Then, one day … everything gets on my nerves. I end up being discontent, frazzled, and irritated. It is so hard to break such a mood when it sets in and I always hate the effect it has on my family. Every one seems down cast and the very rooms we laugh, love, and live in seem the same way.

Thankfully, those days do pass and a new day and new hope shines brightly again.
Those days are the building up and building on times and they help carry us through the tearing down times.

“Again, you shall plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria;

The planters shall plant and shall enjoy them.” Jeremiah 31:5

The LORD wants so much for his, doesn’t He?! He wants us to enjoy the homes and gardens we build and nurture.


Here in our home, it is a time of celebration. Our son is coming home after three years of mere leaves and visits. He left home to train in Fort Benning, GA and went from there to where he was stationed in Italy. He deployed from Italy for 15 months in Afghanistan and has been several months back in Italy since returning. God has been so good and He has carried this guy who left home a boy and is coming back a man.

How thankful I am for my LORD and Savior. HE alone carried this mother’s heart through the terrors, agonies, heart cries, and the heart breaks. He also built UP my faith and tore DOWN my fear. My God is an awesome God! Your God is an awesome God!


“And there is hope for your future,” declares the LORD, and your children shall return to their own territory.” Jeremiah 31:17

And for those “tear down” kind of days? We can dwell on His truth. The truth that HE satisfies and HE refreshes through all our days.

“For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.” Jeremiah 31:25