There are people who plant trees even though they know they may not be the ones to enjoy their shade one day. They dig the soil, plant the seed, water it, and then tend to it day after day. They do not know when the tree will grow tall. Nor do they know who will one day sit beneath its shade. Yet they continue to plant. For not everything we do today must yield immediate results. There are things we do because we believe that the future is still worth preparing for, even when we ourselves cannot yet see it.  Perhaps that is why the story of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 32:1–25 feels so close to home. Whilst Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army, Jeremiah was actually instructed to buy a plot of land in Anathoth. He himself was imprisoned in the palace courtyard because of his prophecy that Jerusalem would fall and King Zedekiah would be taken captive. In such circumstances, buying land seemed utterly illogical. What was the point of owning land when the nation was heading for ruin?

However, this purchase was not merely a transaction. In Leviticus 25:23–28, ancestral land essentially belongs to the Lord, and close relatives may redeem it. Therefore, Jeremiah’s action became a prophetic act: a sign that destruction was not the end. The deed of purchase was kept as a testimony that one day houses, fields and vineyards would once again be owned in that land. Of course, Jeremiah did not go through all this without anxiety. After buying the land, he came before the Lord and poured out his heart. He recalled the power of justice and the Lord’s steadfast love, but also acknowledged the reality he was facing. He could not control the Babylonian army or the future. All he could do was remain faithful to what the Lord had entrusted to him.

Dear Bible Friends, perhaps we too have felt as though we were planting a tree in barren soil: seeing no results yet and not knowing how it will all end. Uncertainty often makes us want to control what is actually beyond our control. Yet, we do not always know what tomorrow holds. All we can do is carry out our part faithfully, whilst entrusting the outcome to the Lord. For faith is not about being able to see the whole path ahead, but about the courage to take a step today and trust that the future is in His hands.