Useless to HIM?

Jeremiah had the toughest calling in the world; to tell people hard things that they did not want to hear.  Sermons about God’s goodness, His love,  about the depths of His grace, get rave reviews.  Jeremiah preached one message for decades, “judgment is coming if you don’t get right with God!”  Who wants to hear that over and over again?  I’ll readily admit that I have not spent much time musing over the Word of God found in the book that bears the prophet’s name.  Yet, without judgment, grace becomes meaningless, doesn’t it?

Jeremiah was directed to turn his sermon into an object lesson. The Lord told him to go get a linen belt, a sash that was normally worn by royals and priests of high stature, and to wear it around his waist.  As he went around Jerusalem, people would take note of his sash, as it would stand out against his ordinary clothing.  Then God said, “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” (Jeremiah 13:4, NIV)  What happens to linen when it’s exposed to dirt and moisture? It deteriorates.  When the thing was ruined, God had Jeremiah dig it up and wear it around again. Every time somebody asked, “What happened to your sash?”  he had another opportunity to give them God’s message.  "These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! For as a belt is bound around a man’s waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,’ declares the LORD, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’" (Jeremiah 13:10-12, NIV)

Abraham’s heirs enjoyed a privileged place before God, not because they were better or more deserving than any others, but because God had chosen them to make His Name great, to be a special, holy people that brought the admiration of the world to Him. Now, because they would not live obediently, they had become worthless.  Because they brought disgrace to Him instead of Glory, He was going to remove His protection and let them be ruined just like Jeremiah’s belt.  And, they were!

Musing on that passage, I asked myself if I have misappropriated the blessings of the Lord.  I wondered if I made it all about me, instead of Him?  The letter to the Ephesians is my favorite part of the Bible. It celebrates the high calling of every Christian, the amazing benefits that come to us.  And it reminds us that we are blessed to be a blessing.  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," (Ephesians 1:3, NKJV)  "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:11-14, NKJV)

Christian, are you walking worthy of the high calling of Christ? Or, because you have turned grace inside out, focusing on ‘me, myself, and I,’ are you ruined and therefore, useless? 

It is a sobering question, one we could never answer with confidence, except for the amazing promise that our Father invests the life of the Spirit in us, asking only that we humbly let Him work in us, and thus, work through us ‘for the praise of His glory.’  As you think about Jeremiah’s ruined, useless belt remember this promise of power to live a holy life.  Live in this word from the Word – today and always. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3-8, NIV)

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Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me

All His wonderful passion and purity

Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

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