Did you know God once told Jeremiah to buy a specific piece of underwear?
It sounds strange, maybe even funny—but the reason was deeply prophetic. In Jeremiah 13, God has Jeremiah wear linen undergarments, hide them, then retrieve them later. When he does, they’re completely ruined. God explains why.
If almost any other clothing had been used, its ruin could be blamed on outside forces—dirt, wear, pressure from the world. But underwear is different. It doesn’t rot because of what touches it from the outside. It rots because of what comes from within. Bacteria from the body sat on the garment, and — given time — caused it to become worthless.
That was the point.
God was showing that His people weren’t being destroyed mainly by external enemies, but by what they allowed to remain inside: pride, stubbornness, anger, hatred. Left unchecked, those things slowly rot what God is trying to form, rendering it useless.
We were meant to cling to God and reflect His glory—not become useless, ruined garments. So the question is simple and hopeful: How do we live in a way that keeps us clean, close, and useful to Him?