Rotted

“They shall become like this loin cloth- good for nothing.” Jeremiah 13:10

This passage of scripture can either be absurd, dramatic or a poignant show of God’s love and frustration with His people. God instructed the prophet Jeremiah to buy a loin cloth or linen belt and put it around his waist. After wearing it, Jeremiah was to hide it in a hole in the rocks near the Euphrates river. Then when a long time passed, God told Jeremiah to go and retrieve the cloth. Of course it was rotted with mildew. It was useless! 

Then God explained, “This is how I will allow the pride of Judah and Jerusalem to rot. These wicked people refuse to obey My Words. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this linen belt- good for nothing! As a belt clings to a person’s waist, so I created my people to cling to me. They were to be my pride, my glory, an honor to My Name. But they would not listen to Me.”  

I am praying that it’s not too late for our nation. I feel sure that God wanted us to be His special people, to be His pride, His glory, His honor. Are we like the loin cloth, useless and fit to be thrown away? Let us make sure that we ourselves are not dirty loin cloths. Let us cling to Him, read His Word everyday, and obey it.