A few weeks back I put an old box TV on the curb. You know the ones that weigh a gazillion pounds. As I was getting ready for the day, I heard the trash truck coming (you can hear it a mile away). I went upstairs with a cup of coffee, sit down, and waited for the action to begin. They backed up to the curb and began chunking all my trash into the metal pit. Because the TV was so heavy, they both grabbed a side and heaved it into the back. Now it was time to pull the lever. Yep, the lever that controls the powerful hydraulic crusher thingy! (I’d like to run that hydraulic crusher thingy just one time. Wouldn’t you?) It began to move up and reach out to gather all of the trash together, kind of like a mother hen uses her wings to gather her chicks, except the powerful crusher thingy has no love and compassion for what is in its grasp. It comes down with brute force and power crushing everything under its metal wing. The TV exploded under the force of the mighty crusher thingy! It…was…AWESOME!
Yessir! I love trash day. It’s there when you leave for the day and GONE when you get back! And occasionally when I get a chance, I get to watch the powerful crusher thingy too.
I have never ran after the trash guys as they were pulling away to get something back I needed. Once it’s gone, I’m not going to run after it! I don’t need it anymore…that’s why I put it on the curb. There have been times when I forgot to put the trash out. The trash may pile up for another week because I forgot, but never because I wanted it back. By the way, I hate it when I forget. Those are bad weeks for the Carroll home because we have a lot of trash.
Trash day is a great picture of what has happened to our sins. Jesus Christ crushed sin and death for us. He took away all our sins as God placed the sins of all mankind on Him and conquered sin & death through Christ. The Bible says….
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” II Corinthians 5:21
“For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17
Jesus took the sin\trash in our lives and paid the price once for all. That’s what God asked Him to do, and He did it! It was God’s desire for us to be made Holy and Right in His sight. Jesus made that possible for us.
“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” Hebrews 10:10
“Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (Micah 7:18-19)
God, through Jesus Christ, did exactly what He said He would do.
So here is the question I’m asking myself today. Why do I keep chasing what was already crushed? Why do I live as though I’m still bound to what has already been taken away? No person, except for those people on the show hoarders (Lord deliver them), would ever run after the trash truck and ask for all their junk back! It’s gone! All we have to do is believe and receive it. Jesus made a way for all of us to come into God’s presence, through Him, to find the answers to our questions and to clear away the confusion in our lives. We don’t have to live in sin. We don’t have to live in confusion. We CAN know and understand God’s will for our lives. When Jesus died on Calvary, and the Father raised Him from the dead, A WAY was made for us to be in God’s presence here on earth and ultimately for all eternity. That’s why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
What do we need to put it on the curb today! As I was writing this, I had a situation come up that I have to let go of & allow God to clear the confusion for me right now. Together, we can all put our junk on the curb. Now picture the big Crusher Thingy reaching out to gather it all up and watch it disappear and drive away. We are now free to receive the amazing love, forgiveness, and grace extended to us through Jesus Christ. It has already been done, we just have to receive it. I know it’s hard for us to understand that, but it’s true. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” that’s what He was talking about. All you and I have to do is receive what has already been done for us. We don’t have to live in fear and doubt. We can have clarity and peace. We have to sort through some of the trash along the way to understand and find closure, but ultimately we simply receive what Jesus won for us. We can have the life He promised us. An abundant life! As we abandon all of our wants and desires on the curb, and choose to LOVE HIM above all else. When we do that, He says we can be free of the junk in our lives and He will provide all we need.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33