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Tray of Trash
by Steve Countryman First you must understand that everyone has his or her own tray of trash. The amount of worries, concerns and problems can seem huge and never-ending. Worries and concerns about the future, the economy, the elections, job security, retirement, investments, debt, monthly bills, schooling, health, sickness and disease. Then you have other problems like addictions and abuses of all types, generational curses, reoccurring sin and relationship problems. Your tray of trash also contains wrong thinking, lies, deceit, deception, theology, religion, beliefs, false teaching, false teachers, false prophets, fear, doubt, offenses, bitterness, anger, un-forgiveness, hiding/denying your weaknesses and the truth, boasting and pride, lust and envy of all types. Your faults, failures, flaws and sinful past are all heaped on your tray of trash. When you put them all together it is easy to understand why so many people have so much stress in their lives. I refer to all of these problems as your tray of trash. Now imagine a very large serving tray with handles at each end that is heaped with all of your worries, cares and problems all representing your natural life, your tray of trash. Your tray of trash is always before you. You carry it everywhere you go. It demands you constant attention. It never leaves your field of vision. Because your tray of trash is right I front of you as you carry it around it blocks, hinders and filters your field of vision and how you view and see things. It will cause you to stumble and fall repeatedly. In fact your tray of trash always falls on you every time you fall trying to keep you down. Your tray of trash will negatively affect your attitude, your health, your family, your friends and your surroundings. When you walk with your tray of trash it commands and demands your complete attention so you cannot see your next step. Your tray of trash dictates your steps and your direction. As Christians this becomes dangerous because it means that your eyes are no longer on Jesus but on your tray of trash. That is when the stumbling and falling occurs. God showed me something that I never totally considered before. When you fall down and end up on your side in the fetal position, you are now in the most vulnerable position that you can be in. It is a non-defendable and totally defeated position. You cannot fight back in that position or get back on your feet from there. Your guard is totally down and all you can do is take the constant onslaught of abuse, punishment and torment. Just like the old saying "kick him while he is down" is what is happening to you. Your only hope is to be determined to get back up. The longer you are down the harder it is to get back up. Things are happening around the world at an accelerated rate. The world's economies are all in trouble. Fear has gripped the lives of people who have lost their homes, jobs, investments and retirement accounts and those who haven't. During one of the stock markets bad down turns I heard on national news that one major stockbroker's main advice was to pray. On talk radio the host was talking about the prophecies of the Bible coming true in these last days, one world economy and one world order. So where is your trust? Is it in government who can't account for the trillions of stimulus money that has disappeared? Is it in the experts who can't agree amongst themselves? Is it in the corrupt company leaders who couldn't mange their company's money that they managed before the bailout? Is your trust in politicians who value their power and greed higher than the well being of our country? Okay, don't get me started! My point is that your trust has to be in the one true Solid Rock! The one being that is not affected by, shaken by, tossed around by, surprised by or moved by this world's problems or its economy and His name is Jesus! What the Lord wants is for you to take your tray of trash and sacrifice it to Him on His alter. You do that by committing and submitting your tray of trash to God. That means that you will no longer pick it up to try to fix it yourself or to worry about it again. It doesn't' mean that you have forgotten about it or that you are no longer responsible for its consequences. It does mean that you trust God to help you get over and through your tray of trash. It is not ignoring your tray of trash but acknowledging that you can't fix it by yourself. You need God's help to do what you can't do. What is beyond you isn't beyond God! For God is made strong in our weaknesses and to God be all the glory! If you trust your tray of trash into God's hands, God is willing and able to take your tray of trash and turn it into blessings in your life! That is known as the heavenly exchange. Where you take your tray of trash and exchange it for God's peace, joy, victory, hope, future, deliverance, healing, strategy and all types of blessings for you. God will use your tray of trash to shine brightly through as blessings to you and those around you. On my way to work one morning God showed me a terrible rainstorm with violent winds blowing so hard that if you weren't holding onto something solid you would be blown away with it. I'm talking legs straight out to the side strong winds with beating rain! The only thing not being blown away was this large rock that was there. It had edges and holes in it that you could hold on to but you had to hold on tight with both hands. You can't do that if you are holding onto your tray of trash. You must be willing to submit and commit your tray of trash over to Jesus. "Let go and let God!" The rock you are now holding on to that is unmovable and unshakable is Jesus! Surrender your tray of trash, the causes of all your stress, over to Jesus. Trust God and see how much lighter you feel without lugging around your tray of trash. You are now filled with His peace that passes all understanding and His joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Put all of your faith and trust in the only one who truly cares for you and loves you deeply and He will see you through! Are you ready?!? Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |