Jer. 13-15; John 15

"Thus the LORD said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I got a sash according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist.  3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, 4 “Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 Now it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem."   Jer. 13:1-9

Jeremiah received an odd word from God. Take a linen sash and put it here and there, get it wet, and bury it, and so on. What is this about? What is so amazing to me is that Jeremiah actually did it. Why would God ask him to do such a bazaar thing? Ours is not to ask why it is ours to do or die. Actually we need to die in order to do. It takes death to our will in order for us to do His.

Looking back at this story we can see that God was speaking to Jeremiah with a visual illustration. This helped the prophet to speak with great passion and help those who were listening to understand the message. God asked us to trust him. Give Him the benefit of the doubt when he has spoken to us and it doesn’t make sense. I have done a lot of things over the my years following Jesus that didn’t make sense. Most of those things had to do with going against the ways of the world. But it is on ware occasion that he has actually asked me to do something really bazaar. Like the time the Lord asked me to go outside at 11pm and stand on the street corner. It was a few minutes later that a young man walked up to me and asked about what the Bible says about the end times. I was able to lead that young man to the Lord. I wish I had more of those kind of experiences but the average prophet and Christian for that matter lives in the mundane where faith might not make sense but is obedience in day to day living. It’s being honest when a little white lie might give you the business deal. It’s living with integrity when no one would know if you fudged on your taxes. It’s turning off a tv program that is inappropriate even though no one would know.

Our obedience will never be placed in the pages of the Bible but it will always be remembered in the heart of the Lord.

God Bless,

Pastor Rick