In Jeremiah 13, we read how God directed Jeremiah to purchase a linen loincloth and to wear it around his waist. Then the Lord instructed him to take it and put in a rocky place by the river. Later Jeremiah retrieves the cloth at the instruction of the Lord. He finds it ruined and good for nothing. Once an intimate garment which he wore, now the article is wasted.
The Lord tells Jeremiah that Israel and Judah are like the wasted undergarment. They were made for intimacy and they were made to cling to Him; they were made to reflect His glory, but they rejected Him, running after other gods. Jeremiah 13:11 says, “For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen (ESV).”
Lord God, I do not want to be a wasted loincloth! It is my longing to cling tightly and relentlessly to You, not seeking anyone or anything other than You. As the psalmist cried, so let me cry, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You. My strength and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:25-26, ESV).” Lord, make me a man for You, a name for You, a praise and a glory for You! This You will do as I, by Your grace, cling to Jesus.
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