Daily PresenceSample

I’m not sure I’ve bought many clothes from an actual “brick-and-mortar” store in a while. I’m all about online shipping these days! It’s easier, I have a wider variety of options available to me and I don’t have to get off the couch to click “purchase!” Unfortunately, online shopping has one massive con. You can zoom in and read the description as many times as you want, but you don’t really know what you’re getting until it arrives at the front door.

When I was pregnant I bought some very comfortable pants from Amazon. They were a dream. Soft, stretchy, and big enough to hold my growing baby bump! I wore them as soon as they arrived and thought I’d hit the jackpot. I didn’t think twice when I put them in the washing machine for the first time. To my dismay, they came out looking very different. I’ll never know what went wrong, but the washing machine ate them up! All that was left was a war-torn rag. Unwearable. Useless.

I find it so relatable when God uses clothing to connect to his people! When a belt once worn in a helpful way is left to rot, God says “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!”

It may seem like an odd metaphor at first glance. What does a belt have to do with idol worship anyway? It comes down to its purpose. A belt is created for function. It’s not simply made to adorn its owner but to bind a garment to the body. It was created to serve as a means of holding things together.

Similarly, our obedience to God keeps us bound to His will and allows us to abide in His strength and favor. When we let our worship rot away, we miss out on what we were created to do. Our purpose is lost and what was once holding us in unity with our Father, falls into disrepair and leaves us vulnerable. God knows the benefit of our relationship with Him! He also knows the tragedy of our separation. He calls us to hold strong and not forsake our primary function; worshiping Him.