It's Trash Day

My heart has been a little heavy lately. I know God is up to something and I want to be right in the middle of it. If He is moving, I’ll move with Him. If He wants to rearrange my space, I am the empty box waiting to be filled up with things of value, things you can’t live without. I’m tired of the junk pile. I grow weary from the things that should be long forgotten, but somehow they remain hidden deep in the closet where no one can see.

God sees it. He knows our junk and He is unafraid to deal with it. Like a big, black plastic bag and strong arms He takes the mess that we have created and says, “Are you done with this?”

You have been holding onto this because you thought you had to. This has no value; this does not define you, the pain, and the baggage. It’s time to clean house, you hold the bag this time…and I’ll tell you what goes inside.

I look at Him timidly and hold the bag wide open and wonder if the bag is big enough to hold the mother-load of trash that has annoyingly cluttered my storehouse. I cringe at the thought of the messiness of me and ask the God that formed man out of dust if He might want to use some rubber gloves for this one.

And we have our moment:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

Before you were born I sanctified you. I set you apart.

I ordained you. I am the God that appointed you as one who is called.

I do not make trash. But, I’ll help you clean it up. My beloved, this is what I want you to throw in the trash:

The voice that tells you that you can’t, the voice that tells you that you are not good enough and that you have nothing of value to offer.

I hope that today you have your Jeremiah 1:5 moment. I hope that you read about how the prophet questioned his call blaming his youth. In timidity and fear Jeremiah was completely unaware of how much the God of all creation wanted to take what he had to offer and be so big in him. In Jeremiah 1:8 it says, “Do not be afraid of their faces.”

Take your fears and doubt to the curb. His approval of you far outweighs your critics; believe what the word of God says about you!

"For I know the plans I have for you," Declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

It’s Monday and today is trash day.