November 13, 2007
The weight of the big black
box was more than he could carry. The box felt as big as a coffin and just
seemed to load him down.
There was no one around who could help
him carry it, so he struggled on. He thought about opening the box and taking
some of the things out, but was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to get the lid
sealed again properly and everything in the box would be freed.
He didn’t know what was in the box, but
he knew that its contents frightened him. He had come to think of the box as
holding "them", and knew that they were alive and evil.
He couldn’t just walk away from it
because he was chained to it in several places.
A few times he had tried to cut the
chains, but when he started, he felt the contents of the box stirring again and
was afraid they, whatever they were would be freed to torment him.
We’re all like the man in my little
metaphor. We carry around a big black coffin full of evil. The evil is the pains
and sins from the past that we are afraid to deal with and let go of.
We’re afraid that if people knew they
would reject us. We’re afraid that if we try and deal with bits and pieces of
it, somehow it will all escape at once and destroy us.
We struggle on, and the longer it is left undealt with the heavier it becomes and the stronger and heavier the chains becomes.
In the book, " A Christmas
Carol," Charles Dickens had it right when he spoke of Jacob Marley carrying
around chains he had created himself from his own life. We’re not ghosts but
the chains still drag us down.
What do we do with them? How do we get
rid of the box?
We give it over to Jesus.
"Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew
11:28-30 NIV
He already knows what is in the box; it
can’t take us away from His love:
No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NIV
Until next time, may you take the heavy box that you have been keeping a secret and give it to Him.
His plan is for you to be made well!
His plan is for you to be made whole!
His plan is for you to live a life un-hampered by past failures and hurts.
He loves you more than you love yourself and His love is not conditional.
So come on join with me now today and lets open it up and deal with it.
In the name of Jesus;
I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved us!
God bless.
Darrel Mason