Sip Saturday
Week #11 Hebrews 1:11
**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, - A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.
Cornerstone Scripture:
"they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment…"
-Hebrews 1:11 ESV
Have you ever cleaned out your fridge and found nasty leftovers? My family instilled in me the habit of keeping leftovers, but sometimes I keep them past their expiration date. Whether it is realizing that the heavy cream I used for a recipe one time has gone sour, or a sauce I kept is no longer potent, I've definitely had to plug my nose a few times to throw out bad food. Even though a refrigerator and a freezer can keep food good for quite a long time, eventually it perishes.
The same applies to clothes. There are some ratty t-shirts and holey socks that for some reason, we all keep, thinking it will last one more wash. Eventually, the clothes become threads, only good to be thrown away in the trash. This happens to even the best made garments, where their color fades, they get rips, or even irremovable stains. Clothes wear away, just like food.
I think that is what the author of Hebrews is trying to teach us. Things fade, and even the sky itself will be replaced one day (next week's devotional will cover that). I think that's why Jesus encouraged his disciples to focus on what was eternal instead of what is temporary.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." -Matthew 6:19-20 ESV
What is finite will not last. Eventually, food will rot, and clothes will disintegrate. The best vehicles will stop working, and the finest jewelry will rust. These things are not eternal, but people are. Investing in relationships with others is more important than trying to get the latest purse or a nice pair of heels.
Of course, that is not to say that such things are evil in and of themselves. No, they are simply stuff, and as long as that stuff doesn't become an idol, it can be enjoyed with an open hand. Cling to the eternal, and let the temporal go before it wears out and becomes useless.
Let's pray.
Dear Lord, please help us not to put stuff before people and a relationship with you. Instead, draw us near and fill us with your eternal love. Amen.
Thank you for the reminder!