Day 293: Metaphors

2 Timothy 2; Jeremiah 7-8; Psalm 122

Paul is amazing at metaphors. He says that a follower of Christ is like a soldier, an athlete, a farmer, a plate. Soldiers have to endure hardships and are devoted to their commander. Athletes compete and win, not by breaking the rules, but by following them. Farmers who work hard are blessed because they get to enjoy the bounty of their hard work first. And houses have special plates and regular plates, some used on important occasions with fancy meals and significant guests; while the others do ordinary things. All of these are metaphors for the Christian believer. We must be devoted to our commander Jesus Christ, even in the suffering. We must obey God's teachings so that we can win the riches of God. If we work hard, we will get to enjoy the goodness of that hard work. And if we stop doing evil and do good, God will have special work for us to do. Love it.

Another metaphor in Jeremiah: "when you stumble and fall, you get back up, and if you take a wrong road, you turn around and go back." It goes on to say, "without second thought, you run down the wrong road, like cavalry troops charging into battle." God is making the point that just like we travel down a road, we have a certain destination, a purpose, a direction, a way to get somewhere that is right. If we are headed west, it's not the best idea to go east (unless you have a lot of extra time)! God is telling the people if you find you are going the wrong way you turn around, but instead, the people. are not. Just as they are abandoning everything that is right and yet they continue doing wrong even with the warnings. Love this metaphor, too.