Those Who Bind

Isaiah 56:3, 6

“Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,”

“And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord,”

I owned a 1985 Chevy single cab truck when I was younger.  It was red and white with a rebuilt engine and new interior.  It was nice to drive at the time and it was a truck.  All the truck lovers will understand.  As life would have it, it developed a pinhole leak in the radiator and slowly all the coolant was dripping out slowly over time.  I was on Jollyville going to work and as I looked behind me, my nice truck was blowing out smoke.  Something was really wrong.  I knew it was either a blown head gasket or a cracked head, both of which were bad.  We drove it to Midland in 32 degree weather and the engine did not overheat. Miracle right!?  My brother and I then proceeded to get the engine fixed at Danny’s house, my brother in law.  We took off the valve covers and started the repair job.  The heat of the engine had baked the valve cover gasket on the engine, binding it to the block.  It took us a whole day to scrape the old gasket off and we still had some pieces that were welded to the heads we could not get off.  

In the story above, it was nearly impossible to get the old gasket off the head.  Your life should be like that gasket, welded to Jesus in a way that nothing can separate you. Those who follow Jesus should bind themselves to Him. Is your commitment to read the Bible binding?  Is your prayer life binding?  Would you rather consult ungodly sources rather than a strong bonded Christian person? 

Often, we are told to hold on tight when we don’t want to lose something we are grasping.  We all have been a part of the balloon escaping into the air after your kid let go of it.  As your child starts crying, you realize what he or she wanted was never coming back. 

Today, a simple thing to do is make Jesus a bonded part of your life. Pray that as you read the Bible, the Lord will burn those words on your heart.  Every part of your day you should act as if Jesus is bound to you watching everything you do and listening to every thought.  That gasket became a part of the engine and it was not coming off. 

Are you bonded to Jesus or is he something you pick up every once in a while?  Your Christian walk should not be like your clothes that you take off and put on every day.  It should be bound to you every step of the way, influencing all you do. 

Prayer: Father, help us to bind ourselves to you. Too often we seem to take off the Christian persona and forget about you when life seems to overwhelm our thoughts. I pray that we hold fast to you and bind our lives to you. I pray that we bind our minds and all of our thoughts to you as well. May everything we do come from a heart bound to you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.