Field Trip for God – go buy some Undies.
A while back my husband and I were trying to read the Bible “together”. We read at different paces and decided if we could at least have a similar plan, we’d be reading in the same books of the bible and could talk about what we were reading…. Well, our “together” plan was short-lived, but I decided to loosely stay on the reading plan to systematically read through the whole Bible. I’d done it a few times before, but it had been a long while. I try to read my Bible every day, but I find myself reading the same familiar books or psalms rather than a progressive plan of reading.
Still, no matter what I’m reading in the Bible, every time I read a passage, different truths pop out for me. Maybe it has to do with where my heart is in that moment, or what phase of life I’m in. Regardless, it’s always interesting to see how God weaves deeper truths within more obvious simpler ones in each text. I’m always struck by just how much is layered within these living words. I look forward to finding “nuggets” within my reading everyday. However, reading through the prophets (especially the minor ones) is somewhat of a challenge for me. I don’t have enough historical context or cross-references to fully comprehend what is happening… Maybe you feel the same. So I try to glean whatever I can from every passage. Here are a few random thoughts I had while reading through Jeremiah.
This particular story stopped me in my tracks. Here’s Jeremiah 13:1-11
Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, 4 “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. 6 And after many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 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.
Jeremiah 13:1-11 (ESV)
Ummm, Yes – a loincloth is similar to today’s version of underwear…What mental picture does this conjure up for you? I’ll be honest, I laughed.
God used underwear to demonstrate a truth for Jeremiah. I found it so interesting the way that God gave Jeremiah a tangible example to teach and emphasize a lesson for spiritual life… by sending him on a field trip to buy underwear.
God orchestrates alot of tangible demonstrations in Jeremiah. For example, in the following chapter, he gives Jeremiah a vision of good and bad figs and then says “like the good figs I’m gonna save these people….and like the bad rotten figs I’m gonna make these other people despised. “
I’m a visual learner so those images spoke to me!
Jesus demonstrates a similar style of instruction by teaching through parables. Sometimes Jesus teaches in story form, like the parable of the Good Samaritan, and sometimes by pointing out a tangible example. “The kingdom of heaven is like…”
So God uses field trips and imagery to teach lessons in the Old and New Testaments, but what about now? I don’t recall a time when God told me to go to Marshalls and buy some underwear, wear it for a bit then go bury it in the creek behind my house for a week before digging it up…. (essentially what he told Jeremiah to do). However, I DO think he still uses perhaps more subtle imagery to teach us, but it may depend on whether we are listening.
When I was younger, I believe God spoke biblical truths to me in everyday life because I was more attuned and truly focused on Him. I would see truths in every day chores and while walking in the woods or through watching personal interactions. I kept a journal with some of my reflections. The journal mentions lessons learned from sweeping the floor, going on a run, watching a Father with a child and seeing the trees sway in the wind…. everything relayed a message for me.
I think some of my spiritual maturity wore off when I became an actual adult!
As an adult, I have filled my life with a lot of activity and noise. My brain is less focused on anything. There is an ongoing barrage of to-do lists occupying my frontal cortex. Most of the obvious God truths and lessons around me are drowned out by other noise.
After reading this passage in Jeremiah, I am motivated to clear the space and shift my focus. Instead of being annoyed by groceries going bad, maybe I can focus on what spiritual lesson it might teach (along with buying less). Maybe those rotten groceries reflect God-given talents or opportunities that are ignored, put away, or not used? When left untouched, they become unuseable, unshareable, useless.
I often still see and hear God in the woods and nature… maybe because they are direct creations… and his truths are reflected so purely in his handiwork… and maybe also because I put everything else to the side when I hike to be actively present.
What can you do to be more present and tuned to God’s frequency more regularly?
What biblical lessons is He showing you today?
