PICK UP THE PIECES

God, pick up the pieces. Put me back together again. You are my praise!  Jeremiah 17:14

I accidentally dropped a glass jar on my hard tile bathroom floor, two days ago. It broke into many tiny bits, flinging themselves into every nook and cranny. It was imperative that I get every single piece, so that one would not find its way into a bare foot.  After an hour of sweeping and mopping, I was satisfied that my work was accomplished, only to find one last piece, deep within the closed-door closet.

This morning, while emptying all my trash cans into one bag, I missed the target. Out came all that glass to break into many more pieces, on the same tile floor I had just cleaned, two days prior. I’m sure you could imagine my frustration as I said, “You’ve got to be kidding me?” So down I bent, starting over the whole process of cleaning up glass.

God spoke to my heart as I stuck my finger with a minuscule chard. “How many times, Jenny, have I picked up the messes in your life? I made things right, and then you stepped right back into sin, and made a mess of things again.” In my quagmire, I can almost hear Him say, “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

I will use the example of dieting, because I am all too familiar with that sin. God has helped me to lose weight in the past. I know I am required to care for my body, which is His temple. A healthy weight, makes for a healthier body. But then a myriad of holidays, parties, and celebrations throughout the year, gives an excuse to be coaxed by the bait. A smorgasbord of temptation is placed before me. The beautifully enticing aroma is making me drool in its alluring trap. 

This temptation is really no different than others. We each have a siren who is singing her song of seduction. We stop, we look, and we want. Our own self-control is useless ammunition when facing the battle. When we go to God, confess, and seek His help, in His mercy, He bends down to our level, and begins to pick up the pieces again, and again. He wants us to be victorious both physically and spiritually.

The fundamental foundation to our success is; Christ must be the chief clean-up operator. He will whisper in our ears, strategies to avoid our temptations, and give us strength to do the job. Staying focused on Him, through scriptures, and prayer, Christ becomes the power of better habits within us, to replace our own pathetically depleted will power. 

Merciful Savior, Thank you for picking up the broken pieces in my life, and making me new. Amen