Waste management companies have rules about how much trash and junk each household can put out for collection. Thankfully, God does not limit how much junk we can give Him.
Our collection company allows one large item per week along with the regularly allotted number of bags they will take. Some companies make you call for large-item pickup and others make you take it to a special facility.
Aren’t you glad God’s garbage truck is never full? He has no limits on the amount of trash he’ll take each day. He wants it all. The negative, distracting thoughts, the impatience, the worry, the anger – He’ll take every piece of it. In fact, the Bible tells us that’s exactly what we should do.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
~1 Peter 5 :6-7
There have been a handful of times over the past 13 years that we’ve been over our trash limit for the week. The trash man will take what he is allowed and leave the rest sit. And once he leaves the trash remains as an unsightly reminder to us that we’ve exceeded our limit. We have two choices before us at that point: haul it back up the driveway or leave the can sit at the corner.
Other times, we’ve forgotten to take the trash to the curb for pick-up day. This happened several times when our company changed days after 11 years. We’d been in a routine that suddenly got disrupted. We also went through a season with a not-so-pleasant trash man who would only take what was put in cans and nothing else, even though that was not our company’s policy. It was so frustrating to come home to trash not taken each week.
Through forgetfulness, laziness or excesses, our trash would become an inconvenience for the week. Our trash begins to overflow and if there’s food waste we can end up getting flies and neighborhood cats feasting on our garbage. Flies lead to eggs, which lead to maggots that feed on rotten meat. Not a pleasant thought, is it?
Like many things in life, the physical is a great illustration of the supernatural. You see, God is garbage man too. He’s mighty good at gathering trash.
God the Garbage Man
Daily Collection of Trash
Unlike trash pick up, God is available to gather your trash every day. He doesn’t only collect on Tuesdays and He doesn’t take holiday breaks. He is available at a moment's notice to take your present situation's baggage. Stop believing the lie that you can only go to God when you've cleaned up and don't think Sunday morning is the only time God's office is open. 24-7, 365 you can give him what you don't want.
When Satan throws junk in your lap, hand it off to God. It's like Hot Potato, just keep passin' it along! Don't allow the junk to stop in your heart or mind, keep it moving to Jesus.
Large Item Pick Up Anytime
God takes large junk but unlike your trash guy, you don't need to preschedule or even move it to the curb. Just offer it up to God. There's no burden too big for God to take. Keep on passing it through! The larger the better, it means you're not letting the enemy gain a foothold in your life because what he's throwing your way, big or small, you're passing on to Jesus.
No Collection Limit
“Oh boy, here comes Jane again. What are we going to do her? She's always got so much trash.” Your trash guy may roll his eyes at the extra bags you try to sneak in but rest assured Jesus is not sitting next to God wringing his hands wondering what He'll do with your junk.
The Authority in Recycling
When you set your recycling with our trash we are confident that it will be made into something new and usable. The chances of seeing your milk jug as a water bottle back in your refrigerator are slim. But with God, what Satan means for harm God will use for good in our lives. By giving Him that crap we don't need and can't use, we allow Him to fashion it and return it back to us as a victory, a witness or a message.
Like the trash man, God deals in junk removal. He wants to take away what we don't need so that our lives are clean and free to do what He has called us to do. When we harbor that junk it becomes like rotten meat. Maggots begin to form and the spiritual stench is strong. By giving up the garbage of our lives to God often we exchange that pungent odor for the sweet fragrance of Christ.
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