Originally written December 17, 2018 ·
Our garbage hadn’t been emptied in over three weeks due to different reasons… their truck broke, it rained and was muddy, then they just forgot us… Each time we took out our trash, it stunk worse. Benny would go out and push it down as much as he could, but that got harder and harder. Eventually it got to this point, and our dumpster would not accept another piece. My friend down the road was nice enough to let me put some in her dumpster when the strong winds came in and we didn’t want this trash blown into our yard. As I looked in the rear-view mirror on the way to her house, a few pieces blew out of the back of the pickup and I realized with the wind howling and gusting like it was, I could never gather those pieces of trash, even if I stopped now and chased them.
I felt like God was reminding me that our hearts are like that dumpster. In 6th grade computer class we learned a phrase called “garbage in, garbage out.” It applies to everyday life, too. Whatever we put in our hearts will eventually overflow. After words have been spoken, they can never be retrieved. When we act like an idiot, we can ask forgiveness, but the act is still impressed on someone’s mind. It is hard in this world we live in not to collect garbage in our hearts…others hurt us, we get angry at situations we end up in, others make poor decisions and we have to deal with the consequences, or we make poor decisions and have consequences. Hurt, anger, bitterness, depression… Sometimes life just stinks, like this three-week-old garbage. And it will continue to stink until we deal with it. The Bible says, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart.” What we feed our soul each day matters. Garbage in — garbage out. Every time I write a devo, it is for me. I have been collecting not only my garbage, but other people’s garbage, too. If I continue to fill my heart with these things instead of emptying it of this trash and filling it with the fruit of the Spirit, it will continue to rot. I want my life and the words from my mouth to smell like Jesus, not a rotting stinking landfill.
LORD, today I ask that You empty my heart and soul of the garbage that has built up over time. Sometimes You try to take trash from me, but I hang on to it, because I have gotten used to its smell and feel and it is comfortable. Replace the rotting things in my life with Your Word and the fruit of the Spirit. Help my heart and my words be sweet again. Remind me when I start to collect garbage that You have SO much better for me. Give me strength to change this area of my life to please You.
***But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. Matthew 15:18
***Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
***The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
***May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
ON THE PORCH 