Friday, June 24th- Empty The Garbage

Once a week, in most places today where they take good care of their environment and health, garbage remover drives down stopping at every house. Fu l and sometimes overflowing garbage containers are picked up, emptied into the truck, and returned to each house. During the next week, as the rubbish accumulates and the odour increases, people become eager for the return of the garbage truck.

More repulsive than this is the personal trash that accumulates in our hearts and minds. Some of our garbage; hatred, gossip, bitterness, and lust and even what looks like good deeds or upright behavior can reek like garbage if contaminated by our selfish pride.

The Bible calls our inner garbage “sin.” In 1 John 1:9, God’s disposal system is outlined: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confes- sion means calling our sins what God calls them. We needn’t fear revealing them to Him, for He already knows them.

For one thing, confession helps relieve the weight of guilt. As long as the matter stays hidden, one must carry the weight alone. That generally results in insecurity being added to the weight of the guilt not to mention self-hatred. Keeping wrongs hidden requires a lot of emotional energy. Confession negates the need for that expenditure of energy. This can be seen in the fact that often, when lawbreakers have been on the run for a long period of time, and are finally captured, some actually express relief that the chase is finally over and no more acting or pretending is needed and no more looking over ones shoul- der.

Thank God, His sin disposal service is available everywhere and every day, not just at church on Sunday. He wants to get rid of your garbage. Why not let Him? The moment you confess your sins to the Lord, He casts them “into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

If we confess our sins God is faithful, He can be trusted to “forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God will purify us from all unrighteousness. It is God who is able to forgive us and it is God who is able to cleanse us. We need to trust in Him.

Your sin may have been committed years ago, no one else knows about it. You have been running from it but it keeps following you wherever you go. You can’t out run it but you can be forgiven of it if you confess it to God. God wants to forgive you for He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Will you seek His forgiveness today? Will you confess your sin to him?

Psalm 32:5 says “I made my sins known to you, and I did not cover up my guilt. I decided to confess them to you, O Lord. Then you forgave all my sins.” The best eraser in the world is an honest confession to God.