If you are a gardener or someone who loves the beauty of nature in a yard, you know that weeds, dead leaves, overgrown vines and yard clippings have to be taken out.
Large brown bags from home stores line our street as evidence that we have to do something with the refuse, the weeds…the junk.
We too have to take out the weeds and overgrown vines that sometimes lurk near our heart and influence our actions and thinking. These weeds move us away from the Lord. Taking out the weeds is accomplished by acknowledging our disobedience to God and taking our trash, our sins, to Jesus. We confess our sin and leave the large brown bag of stuff at the feet of Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Savior.
It seems sort of “too easy” that His grace could cover the ugliness of my sins, but it’s true. It wasn’t easy for Him, but it is true.
1 John 1:9 says:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
As Paul said in Romans 6: 1-4, bringing our junk to Jesus does not imply we’re given a “free pass” to keep sinning each day, but when we sincerely bring our weeds and junk to Him, His grace covers us and we enter back into the fullness of abiding with Him.
Thank God, one day, there will be no more sin.
There will be no more weeds to take out to the curb. No more need of forgiveness and repentance because we will be free from the presence of sin. We have the power today, in Christ, to be free from the power of sin. This is evidenced by millions of lives that have been racially changed by His touch. Perhaps like your life.
So, if you are like me many days, today, you may need to take your trash out – to Him. The yard of our life will look better with the weeds gone and the big brown bags out of sight. Then, the Lord and others can enjoy the beauty of the our lives – fully engaged with Him.
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Prayer
Lord I want to live in the fullness of what You have for me. I don’t want anything between us, limiting our relationship. I want the weeds and junk that lurks around my heart to be removed. So, here today, I confess my waywardness and my sins to You – the things I’ve done that create a fracture in our relationship. I am thankful that Your grace covers my sin. I want a life that is beautiful for You to see and for other’s to see. Lord lift the heaviness of my sin I pray – bring the joy of Your salvation to my heart this day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.