The Word That Uproots and Rebuilds
Just as pruning a plant removes what hinders growth, God’s word cuts away what is unfruitful to make room for life that flourishes.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional from Ray Stedman centers on the calling of Jeremiah, where God not only gives him words but appoints him over nations and kingdoms. It is a staggering reminder that the real power in this world does not reside in governments, armies, or prominent names. It resides in the living word of God, spoken through those who yield to Him. Jeremiah, a young man from a humble background, is entrusted with divine authority, not to wield for his own glory but to carry out God’s purposes, to uproot, tear down, build, and plant.
God’s word is not passive. It shatters illusions, dismantles pride, and cuts through human pretense. But it never stops there. After the demolition of what is false or harmful, the same word builds what is true, life-giving, and eternal. God’s goal is always healing and restoration. Even when He brings judgment, He is laying the groundwork for renewal.
The power that worked through Jeremiah is still active today. When believers speak God's truth, it does not matter how obscure they are in the eyes of the world. The word of God through them can still redirect the course of a life, a community, or even a nation. This is not about human charisma or cleverness. It is about the Spirit-empowered word that accomplishes what it was sent to do.
Even in our personal lives, God's word works in this same rhythm. He reveals what must be removed, habits, attitudes, hidden places of pride, and He replaces them with grace, humility, and wholeness. Whether in a broken marriage or a proud nation, God always moves with this pattern: to tear down what does not belong, and to plant what will glorify Him.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are not overlooked. You are not without purpose. I have placed My word in your heart and I will speak through you. When you abide in Me and My word abides in you, what you declare in My name will carry authority beyond your comprehension. You may see yourself as small, but My word through you is not small.
Just as I set Jeremiah over nations and kingdoms, I have placed you in this generation with purpose. The words I give you will break through deception and bring light. They will unsettle what is false, and then, in their place, I will grow what is true. My word in you is a tool for both demolition and restoration.
In your own life, I am doing the same work. I reveal the unseen pride, the patterns of fear, the habits of the old life that still cling. I do not expose these things to shame you. I uproot them so that healing can grow. When I show you what needs to change, I also supply the power to bring about the change. I tear down with gentleness and I build up with grace.
You are not the source of this work. You are the vessel. Trust Me to do through you what only I can do. Yield to My direction and speak as I lead. What I plant will not be moved.
Scripture References: Jeremiah 1:9–10, John 15:7, Isaiah 55:11, 2 Corinthians 10:4–5, Hebrews 4:12, James 5:16, Ephesians 4:15, Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:6–9, Romans 15:18
Real-Life Analogy
Think of pruning a houseplant that has grown wild. Some of the leaves look lush, but they're draining energy from the roots. You take the shears and trim back the excess. It feels counterintuitive. But in just a few days, the plant begins to thrive. The energy that was scattered is now focused. New growth starts to appear where the cuts were made.
God works in the same way. He sees what is unnecessary or draining in our lives. It may look good to us, but it isn’t fruitful. So He cuts it back. And although the pruning feels sharp, it is always for the purpose of renewal.
Today, you may sense the Lord nudging you to let go of something, an anxious reaction, a harsh tone, a tendency to worry about what others think. Instead of pushing back, say to Him, “Lord, I trust You to do Your careful work in me. Cut back what does not belong, and grow what glorifies You.” Let Him use His word in you as a tool of both clarity and compassion.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, thank You for placing Your word in my life. I trust that when You reveal something that needs to go, it is not to harm me but to restore me. Thank You that You never destroy just to leave a void. You always plant new life where the old has been removed.
I am grateful that You can use even my quiet words, when they are filled with Your truth, to shift the atmosphere around me. I do not need a platform. I only need to remain in You. Let Your word do the work, both in me and through me. I rest in the power and purpose of Your perfect hands.