by Rev Douglas Brauner

God’s garbage removal system.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:11-12 English Standard Version

Something I haven’t done for a while, but enjoy doing, is taking pictures in the alleys of Colorado Springs. There are not a lot of downtown alleys, and it only takes a few hours to walk most of them. However, each time I travel these people-less places, I find something interesting.

Alleys are where we put our garbage. You will not find dumpsters on Nevada, Cascade, or Tejon streets. No, there you will find people walking from one place to another. There you will hear conversations. There you will see flashing lights, and window displays. However, behind all of those buildings are dumpsters, those places where we store the stuff we don’t want other people to see.

Where do you hide your trash?

I’m not talking about cereal boxes, banana peels, or k-cups. I’m talking about the dirt that brings pain into our lives. I’m talking about sin.

Where do you hide your sin?

Every one of us has a back alley where we hide our sin, if not from God then from each other. We even try to hide it from ourselves.

The trash in this picture no longer fills this dumpster. A day came when a truck hauled it away, never to be seen in the alley again. Oh, to be sure, the dumpster was refilled…and re-emptied.

No matter where you hide your sin, Jesus knows it’s location. His removal system is much better than any garbage collector. He has removed your sin as far as the east is from the west. Yes, we will refill the dumpster, but his mercy never stops.

Thank God for the blood of Christ that daily, and richly, forgives.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado