4/26 Strength for Today

Good for Nothing

Jeremiah 13:10
“This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.”

In verse 1 of this chapter, God commanded Jeremiah to go to the store and purchase a girdle to wear. Jeremiah obeyed God's command and went down to the local clothing store and purchased a girdle and wore this girdle for many days. God told Jeremiah not to wash the girdle during this time no matter how dirty it may have gotten throughout a day. After a few days, God came again to Jeremiah and told him to take this girdle and bury it by the Euphrates River and mark the spot where he buried it. Again, many days after burying the girdle, God told Jeremiah to go back and dig up the girdle. When he dug it up it was marred, dirty, and according to the verse above, good for nothing.

God said that Judah was just like this girdle that was good for nothing. This was based on three of their actions. I find Christians doing today these same three actions of Judah. If these actions made Judah good for nothing, then the same things will also make us good for nothing.

The first action we find is that they refused to hear God's Word. Quite often people hear the Word of God preached and refuse to obey It. Not only are there people who hear the Word of God and disobey It, but there are also many who know what the Scriptures teach and won't obey Them. When you know what the Scriptures command you to do and won't do it, according to the verse above you have become good for nothing.

The second action that causes someone to be good for nothing is doing what they want to do. I find this is happening in Christianity today many times over. Sometimes it is not that a person is doing bad, it is simply that a person is not doing what God wants them to do. Maybe God has called them to do something, but instead of obeying God’s will for their life they are doing something else that they want to do. God said this action makes them good for nothing.

The third action that makes a person good for nothing is following other gods. I know, you say that you don't do this, but I contend that Christianity is filled with people who are serving other gods. These gods are their jobs, money, homes, hobbies, sports, entertainment and worldly possessions. When we put anything before God, then it has become our god.

I ask you, are you good for nothing? Is there something in your life that you refuse to obey God about? Do you live your life doing what you want to do and not what God wants you to do? Is there something in your life that is more important to you than God? Are you doing something other than what God has called you to do? If so, then God says that you are good for nothing.

Don't be a good for nothing Christian, be a Christian who is valuable to God and someone whom He can use. Good for nothing Christians are destroying this world. Watch your life and be careful that you don't become a good for nothing Christian.