Are you ready for some good news?
As ancient cities were rebuilt on the mound of ruins of the former city, the “rubble” of your life only serves as building supplies for God.
The title, “Out of the Ruins,” is lifted from the sweet words of the Lord through Jeremiah:
“This is what the Lord says: “‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.” (Jeremiah 30:18, NIV)
The image of a city being rebuilt on her ruins would have been quite familiar to Jeremiah’s contemporary readers. “Tell” or “tel” derives from the Hebrew word for “hill” or “mound.” Some Mid-eastern cities bear the idea in their name (Tel-Aviv is the best known such name tough, oddly, it’s not actually built on a “tel”).
According to biblewalks.com, there were many common sense reasons that ancient civilizations like to build new cities atop the old ruins. Here are a few:
- Under the ruins of the city were all the building blocks needed for new construction. Why haul heavy blocks from long distances when the needed foundation was right beneath the ground?
- The water works were often still available. Aqueducts, wells, springs and pipes laid by previous generations could bring water to the new city.
- The rubble was valuable! Though in need of restoration, the old ruins contained valuable supplies.
- The old city was probably built on a prime location, so there was no sense in relocating the city.
It makes me think of the restoration God brings in our lives. Think about it:
- All the building blocks of glory are in you. You were made in the image of God. God doesn’t need new stuff to make you new – He just needs to restore the original image.
- The water works are still available. Though Adam and Eve were separated from the Tree of Life and put out of the Garden, there is still a river that makes glad the city of God. God’s living water has not dried up.
- You are infinitely valuable. What looks like ruins to you may be treasure to God!
- You’re still God’s prime location! Whatever “ruins” have mounted in your life, know this, God hasn’t given up on you. You’re His person. He doesn’t have to look somewhere else.
The ruins of your life are wonderfully useful in the hands of God. And that’s the Gospel!
