Thursday, September 25, 2014

By: Rebecca Landry

 

 

Don't Bring the Trash Back IN!

 Psalm 103:12 ...as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 

   

 

I just LOVE trash day. That feels strange to admit. And sure, my teenage self would be bummed out by the "lame" things that bring me joy as an adult but alas, it's true. 
 

Stinky molded leftovers, empty toothpaste tubes, smelly used baby wipes, yucky vacuum canister filth, etc. are all bagged up, hauled out to the street and whisked away by hard-working men, never to be seen (or smelled) again. Do I say, "Oh man, I really miss those old eggshells or that chicken juice soaked paper towel?" Nope, they never cross my mind again.

 

Strangely, trash day makes me think about forgiveness. The sin in our life is like a container of spoiled milk. Nothing good comes out of it, and it NEEDS to be discarded.  Likewise, when we come to God with a truly repentant heart, He TAKES our sin from us and gives us a clean slate.

 

Today's devotion states that God separates us from our sin as far as the east is from the west. How far is that?  VERY, VERY FAR ... as far as you can possibly imagine!  Similarly, in Genesis 22:17, God tells Abraham that He would make his descendants more numerous than the stars. How many is that? A LOT! God is a BIG God, and He does things on a BIG scale!
 

God doesn't forgive our sins for THREE months then bring them up again. YET, we seem to do that to ourselves. We go to God for forgiveness, He forgives us, BUT we can't let it go.
 

We hang onto that sin with feelings of shame and guilt. We hang on to ALL of the things that we try to give to God --- sin, heartache, hurt, resentments. We DO the equivalent of chasing the garbage truck down the street ... attempting to retrieve our dirty bags AND carry them home with us.
 

I challenge you when you ask for forgiveness to REALLY let God take care of it. Accept the gift of forgiveness and leave those stinky bags of garbage where they belong.
 

Dear Lord, THANK YOU for forgiving me and helping me to let go of the guilt and shame that puts a damper on my relationship with You. Help me to understand the depth of Your love and the miracle that is redemption.

 

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.

 

Reflection: Is there something that you are chasing down the garbage truck to get back?