God Never Makes Junk

Photo credit: alvimann from morguefile.com
I was listening to a radio program the other day where the guest spoke of an experience she had in Rawanda. She said she looked out her window and saw a house that was surrounded by what seemed to be junk. Later that morning, a woman came out of the house and began to use every item that was in the yard. To her, everything was useful, none of it was junk. Someone said what impresses him when he enters a house is not how spotless it is or how artistic the decor, but the little things that may appear useless: a fading portrait, a chipped jar, a baby's first shoes. All these things which may appear to be junk are priceless to the owner. And that's how we are to God. We may be old and frail, young and addicted to drugs or alcohol, living a life of sin, but we are still precious to God.

 Some people may look at others and see them as junk. They may even treat them that way. Worse, some people may look at themselves as junk, good for nothing, fit to be dumped. Have you ever felt that way about yourself? Has your self-esteem sunk to the level that you see yourself as good for nothing? Someone, maybe a parent, a sibling or even a friend may have told you that you are no good and you'll never amount to anything. And you believed them. Well, I've got news for you. God does not see you that way.

There was an Israelite by the name of Gideon who felt very sorry for himself because Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites and Gideon and his family had fallen on hard times. One day, while "Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."  But Gideon replied, "Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us ..."(Judges 6 : 12).


Gideon felt unworthy of the angel's greeting. In Gideon's mind, he was a nobody. Later on in the chapter, he said to the angel, "Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v 15). Have you felt that you are too poor, too old, too young, too whatever to be of use to God or even to yourself? God doesn't think so. He made you in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1 : 27). So then, how can you be junk? If you think of yourself as junk, then God has to be junk also, and you know that can never be true.


So, this Christmas season, if you are going through a difficult time, remember the reason Jesus came. He came because you are precious to Him and He wanted to lift you up out of the dump of sin and shame and give you a brand new life. You are not a piece of junk. You are God's special creation and He loves you very, very much.


Here's a lovely video by Scottish superstar Susan Boyle to put you in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy!