Thursday, April 29, 2010

Where is you linen belt?

Read Jeremiah 13: 1-11

It is a powerful illustration that God gives to Jeremiah. How many of us take a look back and realize that we have left our linen belt to the elements? Will we continue on as we have and let it fall to ruin? God has made a covenant with all of us. That covenant was signed and sealed by Jesus Christ. He has purchased our freedom with His blood. The father is our provider. His son Jesus is our advocate, our savior. We have been given many gifts, and the Holy Spirit has come to us as the foreman to ensure that we know how to use them and use them well. He is there to ensure that we finish strong. He guides us, instructs us, and is our comforter when the task seems to be too much.
We have all heard the phrase, “Use it or lose it.” Trainers like to use that phrase. Unused muscles fall to atrophy. Unused talents lose there edge without practice. Are our spiritual gifts any different? We have been given everything by God. Nothing can happen unless He allows it.
God gave everything to the people of Israel. They lived in a blessed land, rich in every form of wealth. On the thrown, was a line of kings promised by God to continue for all eternity. They could not fail. He would not let them. Nobody had it better than the people of Israel. If someone gave you all of the riches you desired, would you be grateful? What if you were given the promise that your continued faithfulness would be rewarded in this way for all eternity? The people of Israel had exactly that, and yet the faltered. They fell away. They squandered their wealth and ignored the gift of God’s promise.
That promise became useless to them. God did not remove His blessing or His promise. At the same time, the people of Israel had lost faith and wasted their gifts. God did not take them away. He made them useless to those who would not use them. They were ruined, like the linen belt left to the elements for many days.
In Christ, God’s promise to Israel is fulfilled. David’s line will reign forever. Christ, the King of Kings’ reign will never end. He is the redeemer and he has made a new covenant with us.

Matthew 26:27-28

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Christ has made with us a new covenant. We have His promise. We have also been given new gifts. We have been promised all the riches of the kingdom of heaven. We are to be it’s citizens. We have been given the gifts we need to further that kingdom now. They are the gifts that we need to make it grow. They are the gifts we need to glorify God and to spread his message to our fellow man, lifting up one another in love and kindness.
In 1 Corinthians 12 we read about the many spiritual gifts given to us, the people who make up the body of Christ. Every part has it’s purpose and all are needed to function as we should. What is your gift? Do you know? You have one. Every one of us does. Get into the scriptures. Pray to the Lord. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you. He is there, waiting. We are His. Our father and provider wants to see us succeed. Our advocate is ready, at the banquet, to stand beside us before the father and call us friend. He has already paid the price of our admittance. The Holy Spirit is there for us. Our foreman is working to ensure that we get the job done between now and the day of the feast.
We have been given the tools to succeed. These gifts have been given to us by God. Will we use them to the fullest or will our linen belts fall to ruin?

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