Nearly twice a week I walk between the two houses we rent when James our groundskeeper is burning trash, normally the thought going though my head while I hold my breath sounds something like this "great, this has got to be SO healthy for me and all my neighbors, breathing in toxins...excellent (sarcasm)."
This had been my attitude as I saw the smoke rising for several months. I would see it and look on in disgust. I don't need to paint a picture for you how it smelt or looked, it was not a pretty sight. It is trash after all.
Then one day I was walking the opposite way I normally do when I came upon the smoke, and although I was still holding my breath, it was for another reason altogether. I saw the most enchanting beams of light streaming down into our backyard, so bright and excellent I couldn't just ignore it. It was as if a bit of heaven desired to meet earth. The beams of light so excellent and beautifully placed by the creator as if it was some kind of beautiful show he was putting on just for me, a majestic image bearing show. They shot down from the sky so deliberately placed I almost fell over myself running to grab my camera. The light beams danced, and my heart turned over the thought of his symbolism waiting to be discovered around every corner including a large trash heap burning. These beams of light were only visible in the right direction and the smoke only enhanced the bright intoxicating light to behold. However, you could be walking the wrong direction and miss the light all together...continuing to be disgusted by the smoke.
The smoke is necessary.
The fire that burns our trash is meant to make light visible.
We are image bearers of Christ, so we take out the trash that doesn't reflecting this.
Set a flame, watch it burn, see the smoke and embrace the light.
It's crazy how the Lord strikes a match in our hearts and sets ablaze to our worldliness though his word.
He points to the glorious light that is just waiting to be seen when he sets flames to the trash in our hearts. So much is waiting to be consumed in order to enhance the light, we must we willing to be put though the flame and breathe the smoke to see the light.
"Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as Holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."
"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:20-22
Suddenly that burning trash smell filled up my heart and I was humbled.
I need to take out the trash of what is dishonorable and seek to be a vessel for honorable use.
It's as if the winds changed and lifted up the burden of the rotting flesh when we run towards the steams of light. The smoke no longer bothers us, we run briskly into righteousness, faith, love and peace.
I don't know what your trash is, but he does.
He wants you to take it out not only because it's rotting,
but because he desires to shine light all the more brightly.
STREAMS of mercy never ceasing. Songs of loudest praise.
The steams of light beams remind me of his mercy.
When we see sin in us, and set a flame to it out of obedience to the merciful one.
We are given mercy. He is patient. He is long-suffering.
Through any and all sin he desires to set flames, build the billowing smoke so that the light beams may shoot out deliberately reaching the world. The lost world needs the signal of smoke to see the light often, when we are transparent about what our sin is and how we are killing it, we are being set apart as Holy.
There is a difference between knowing OF the Holy one, and knowing the Holy one that we desire to be made Holy as well even though we know good and well of the smoke that must rise.
Today I rejoiced in a good friend's symbol of smoke. He had given his life to Christ several months ago but found himself in a way of life much like his old life. He hadn't been convicted of this area to be made Holy yet but this weekend he did! He told us instead of going out like he did every weekend to party that instead he stayed home and prayed. He couldn't exactly explain why be he did indicate he had a peace and felt like the Lord was really doing a work, and that he enjoyed it much more than going out after all. Did you see the smoke? It may be subtle, but it was there. Billows of sin rising as we daily decide to be obedient. He has seen the first of his smoke, but there is certainly more to come as he is made into a honorable vessel.
Smoke may not be something people are attracted to naturally, but when you have seen the light and know it's source you will happily set a flame to be made in his likeness again and again, clothed in his righteousness.
This process of taking out the trash in our lives is meant to refine us, sanctify, keep us clean.
Helping us to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel and surrender to the one who cleans us.
The smoke may not look pretty, because after all it is trash.
But the steams of LIGHT, image bearing LIGHT are all the brighter when the smoke has lifted.
Set Apart as HOLY.
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